Katara's Revenge
by Vessa Blackheart
Summary: Katara kills her mother's killer, and the gAang rejects her. Everyone except the newly acquired member, Zuko. In fact, he is the only one who offers comfort, advice and...his body? Can love blossom in the face of guilt, grief and Sozin's comet? Review!
1. Chapter 1

"She was lying. She was protecting the last waterbender."

"Who?"

"ME!" Katara faced the man who had murdered her mother in her very home. With her arms extended, she stopped the droplets of rain that were falling from the sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Zuko's face. His mouth slightly agape, his eyebrow raised high, his eyes opened wide but she didn't care. She only cared about this man in front of her. The rage she felt inside towards him was almost unbearable. "Oh how I've dreamed of this day for _years_." Her eyebrows furrowed in anger, and she took several steps closer to him. His arms were held in a defensive stance covering his face. "And now, I shall finally have what I've always wanted. With your death, and with the rest of the Fire Nations', my mother and I will finally have peace." With a twist of her arms above her head the droplets of rain followed her movements, but formed together into ice daggers. "Die!!" She screamed at him, whipping her arms at him with the daggers following suit.

Zuko couldn't watch as the man was impaled by Katara's will. He had seen many soldiers go down in battle, sometimes in the most gruesome way. He himself suffered from burns on his own face. However, for reasons unknown to him, he did not have the stomach for this. Fifty ice daggers protruded from almost every inch of the man's body. The rain continued, droplets cascading down Katara's cheeks as she stared at the carnage she just caused. Zuko watched her as she stood, motionless. She didn't even seem to blink. Just when he was about to reach out and touch her shoulder she turned to face him, her blue eyes steely.

"Let's go." She walked past him, on her way back to where they had Appa hide. Zuko walked behind her, careful to remain out of her line of vision. She marched forward, never turning back. Zuko did however just to get one last look at the man, who in his opinion did deserve what he got. The ice daggers had melted away due to the warm rain that continued to pour from the dark clouds. The man's blood had begun to pool around his lifeless body; his red clothes now stained even darker. He turned front again, Katara still striding toward Appa, who was now eating the very bushes meant to conceal him.

"Let's go Appa!" Katara kipped up onto the crevice of his neck. Zuko quickly jogged, and with a small running head start, leapt into the saddle. "Yip-Yip," Katara snapped the reins to which Appa took flight. They flew for hours without speaking a word. Zuko stared at the back of Katara's head, her dark brown hair blowing behind her.

"Katara…" Zuko crept closer to the edge of the saddle. She cocked her head slightly to the side. He could see her blue eye, the contour of her cheekbones, a single tear rolling down her tanned skin. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her into the saddle with him. She immediately buried her face into his chest, finally letting out all the grief, and possibly regrets that had been building for the past several hours. He whispered quietly to Appa to land. Katara continued to cry, gripping his tunic tightly. He held her, feeling her pain. Although a small part of his mind questioned "How long will she actually let me hold her like this?" The idea of him even sitting next to her a few days ago was unthinkable. Now here he was holding her with her even returning the favor, as her arms were now encircling his waist instead of clutching his shirt.

"Zuko," she sniffled after crying for several minutes. "I- -I'm so sorry," her voice was cracking.

"Why are you sorry?" He whispered into her hair, stroking the loose strands back into place.

"I- -I killed him Zuko. I _murdered_ another human being, without mercy, for no liable cause."

"No liable cause? Katara, the man killed your _mother_." He pried her face away from his damp shirt and stared deep into her eyes. He expected to be met with blue eyes, but saw nothing but pink moist ones.

"I shouldn't have taken his life though Zuko. I'm a _killer_." She licked her lips sniffling and wiping her nose even more. "I don't even know what to do with myself. How am I supposed to tell the gang? Oh spirits! How am I supposed to tell Aang?" Upon saying his name, she broke down even more. He could only pat her back. He honestly didn't know how the bald Avatar would react to this. He had been completely against the idea of her going out and getting her justice. Zuko felt that the only reason Aang let her go was because deep in his innocent heart he hoped she wouldn't kill him. But she had.

* * *

"Katara I can't believe you!" Aang's young voice screamed at the waterbender. Sokka stood in amazement, his mouth open in shock. Toph sat on the biggest rock, with Momo on her shoulder, cowering at Aang's wrath. Katara stood and took the verbal abuse, trying to hold back her tears of regret. "You killed a man. You took his life! You should have _forgiven_ him! What is wrong with you?" he asked incredulously.

"HEY!" Zuko barked when he heard those words slip from Aang's mouth. Aang took a step back as Zuko stood between the airbender and waterbender. "That wasn't just an ordinary man. That man _killed_ their mother," he gestured to both Katara and Sokka. "She had every right to seek her revenge on him. He deserved everything he got. If I had a chance to get the same revenge against the man who took my mother away, I would take it, without hesitation, without mercy!"

"And is that what Katara did? Take this man's life without mercy? Show him what a big, strong waterbender she has become?" Katara's mouth moved faintly, her voice insufferably quiet. "What did you say Katara?"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT ME AS IF I'M NOT HERE!" She screamed at him, pushing her way past Zuko to stare into the dark gray orbs of the Avatar. "I killed him, and since then I have regretted my actions more than I can bear! But one part of me, possibly the scariest part of all, is that I am also glad. Glad that my mother's killer is also dead, by my hand. That he may have felt the pain in the instant of his death that I have felt my entire _LIFE! _You do not understand Aang, Zuko was right! You were raised by monks, and do not know what a parent truly is! It is not the same thing, and I cannot believe you stand here and chastise me for my actions when you do not even fully understand them!"

Silence filled the space, not even Appa or Momo made a groan or squawk or even think to beg for food. Aang's face never faltered neither did Toph's. Zuko and Sokka held their breath, awaiting his response. "Katara," he spoke quietly. "I forbid you from ever waterbending again, and do not want you to accompany us against Fire Lord Ozai. Your recklessness is too much of a burden." Katara's mouth dropped as soon as he gave his conclusion.

"You cannot be serious."

"I am, one hundred percent. If you waterbend again, I will have to take serious action against you."

"Aang," Sokka stepped forth. "You can't do that. Waterbending is who Katara is!"

"And her waterbending took the life of another."

"What do you expect to do against my father?" Zuko yelled suddenly. "Hm? What Aang? Talk him down, reason with him? You reprimand Katara for delivering her own taste of justice, and yet you know deep down in your heart you must kill my father." He shoved past Katara and put his face right in front of Aang's indignant one. "And even though it is the Avatar's destiny to kill the Fire Lord, mark my words, if you don't do it…I will!"

Zuko stomped away from the Avatar, the waterbender, the earthbender and the swordsman back to his tent. When he got there he found Suki, who hadn't been part of the welcoming party, gathering sticks for the night's fire. She caught sight of him, but before she could wave a quick 'hello' she noticed the look on his face. Instead, she turned the other way, with her back to him until he disappeared inside his red tent. Zuko had to admit that Sokka was lucky to have such a smart girl. Talking to him right now would have been a bad move on her part.

Night quickly fell, and the fire in the center of the camp cracked fiercely. Even though Zuko did not ignite this fire, it was still affected by his emotions that were still boiling. His sense of hearing had picked up earlier that Sokka and Suki were spending the night together. Toph had long since built her rock tent and continued to stay there. Aang hadn't come back with everybody, and still hadn't returned from wherever he went. Katara was the only one who didn't recluse herself to a tent, but actually sat in front of the burning fire. Zuko peered outside his tent, and saw her sitting by herself. He exited his tent, and made his way to the rock next to her.

"How are you?" He sat next to her, huffing at the strands of hair getting in his eyes. She continued to stare at the twisting red and orange flames.

"I don't know," her voice was a mere whisper. He cautiously laid his hand on her back, trying his best to rub it soothingly. His mother always used to rub his back to calm him down; he hoped it would have a similar affect on Katara. Her eyes suddenly shifted upward, attempting to restrain the tears that wanted to fall to her eyes. Her dark lips exhaled a shaky breath. "I- -I do not think I can even bear to look at myself, Zuko." His name on her lips made him smile slightly, but the smirk faded almost as quickly as it formed. With his other hand, he lightly turned her face to stare at his.

"I can bear to look at you." Her hand took hold of his, and he thought for only a moment that she leered.

"That may be so, but neither Aang, nor my own brother can."

"Sokka is too busy looking at Suki," Zuko attempted to joke. Now he knew she smirked at that one.

"Even still, I am at a loss." She dropped his hand and faced the fire.

"A loss for what," he attempted to catch her gaze once again.

"My gran-gran commanded that I remain loyal to the Avatar, to Aang. He- -he has ordered that I refrain from waterbending. Sokka was correct, waterbending is who I am. I cannot stop, and I know it. I cannot obey Aang, not as hard as I may want to try, which I do not."

"You will continue to waterbend?"

"Zuko, I must. I- -I had a teacher, besides Master Pakku, who taught me things that would make me even more of a Master than I already am becoming."

"What kind of techniques?" Zuko shifted his body to face hers.

"Terrible, cruel, yet-useful"

"Why would you want to learn such maneuvers?"

"I don't know. I had felt helpless against Hama when she used her techniques against me. I never wanted to feel that way again, just as I feel helpless against Aang right now."

"You dare to defy him outright?"

"Yes. I do. A life without waterbending is no life at all for me. My mother died protecting me. To give it all up would be shaming her memory." Zuko sat stunned. He never had really put two and two together. Of course Katara could not give up waterbending. It was that very gift that her mother would have and did give her life for. Katara did not strive to become a Master Waterbender for herself, or the power. She wanted to become a Master for her mother. As he stared down at his hands, contemplating this, he heard her sniffle. She was trying to hold back the tears again.

"Katara-Don't cry," he stroked her brown hair. She turned to face him, one lone tear escaping her restraint.

"Would you like to see?"

"See what?"

"The waterbending Hama taught me. I can show you two of the methods. The third, I kind of already did," her cheeks blushed slightly. Zuko nodded in agreement, and she grasped his rough hand in hers. Her skin was incredibly soft and smooth. He had never felt anything like it. Not even the silkiest sheets on his large Fire Nation bed could compare. She led him far away from camp to a secluded area. He looked around slightly confused.

"Katara- there's no water here, and you forgot your skin pouch back at the tents," he gestured with his thumb. She grinned.

"Just watch," she instructed. Taking several deep breaths, and closing her eyes she held her hands straight down in front of her. Zuko sat watching, but wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking at. Then suddenly, she spun around slowly, water ripping away from the grass around her. Zuko's mouth dropped. He had never seen such waterbending! She then manipulated the water in the air around her forming shapes before splashing it in his direction. He jumped back, narrowly missing getting soaked. For the first time, she giggled outright.

"That-that was amazing Katara!" He was still positive that his face was in awe.

"There's something else, but I really need to concentrate for it." She took a similar stance before, but unlike earlier, her hands were almost straight in front of her, not downcast. Her face was scrunched up, and Zuko held back a small laugh at the way her nose crinkled. He found himself thinking that it was entirely adorable, as much as he did not want to admit it. But then, it was almost like a miracle. Water began forming out of, well, thin air! Katara's face held the same scrunched up appearance of concentration, while Zuko almost fell flat on his ass in surprise. A sizable amount of water seemed to materialize, before Katara opened her eyes pleased with what she had just done.

"You see, there's water in the air all around us. Hama showed me how to extract it." She played with the water, again creating shapes. A small smile graced her lips. Zuko admired how truly happy waterbending made Katara.

"KATARA!" The water plummeted to the dead grass at her feet, her face changed from pleasant to horrify. She and Zuko turned slowly to see a very angry Airbender standing watching in disbelief. "I thought I told you not to waterbend!"

"She's her own person Aang; she can do as she pleases!" Zuko stared down upon the bald boy.

"Not as long as she travels with the Avatar."

"Oh what, now you're talking about yourself in the third person?"

"Zuko," Katara whispered, surprised by his defense of her.

"Katara, if you choose to stay with me then you will do as I say. If not, then LEAVE!" He spun around wildly, sending a strong gust of wind at the pair who were knocked off their feet. Katara, shocked and hurt, quickly stood up and ran in the opposite direction. Zuko shot Aang an irate glare before setting foot after her, them both disappearing into the night.

**A/N: Well, that is chapter 1 in what I hope will be a small trilogy. Please leave reviews so I know if I should continue this. If I don't get reviews, this story will probably just be taken down. So sorry I haven't posted in such a long time! The ending of Avatar upset me so greatly that I couldn't bring myself to write Zutara. I've even been getting into a new show, One Piece. {Love Zoro x Nami}. However, for some reason, I still think I write Zutara well. Let me know what you all think! Xoxo Vessa.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Katara! Katara!" Zuko shouted into the darkness all around him. How he lost her in an open field astounded him. Wasn't he trained better than this? He shot several bursts of fire for light, but it revealed nothing as he stared blankly through the vacant meadow. He was infuriated with Aang. How dare he speak to Katara that way? Especially when Zuko suspected Aang of liking Katara more than just a friend. It left him with a minor headache and utterly perplexed. "Katara!" He continued to shout her name, but felt that his voice was drowned out by the crashing waves of the ocean nearby. Ocean. Cocking his eyebrow, he glanced at the moonlight as it danced upon the water. Pivoting, he gingerly made his way to the cliff side.

Katara sat on the sand letting the waves crash before her, the water made its way to her soaking her dress. She did not care as the warm water was soothing against the frigid sand. In the distance she swore she heard someone calling her name, yet she ignored the sounds. Aang had kicked her out of the group. Officially. She knew she could never give up waterbending, and so it was made evidently clear to her. She hugged her knees closer to her chest as hot tears flooded her eyes. Her best friend, her brother, Toph, Zuko, Suki…she was forbidden to travel with them any longer on their journey.

What made matters worse, was that anytime she closed her eyes, all she could see was the dead body of her mother's killer. Oh, what she would give for her mother's comforting words. Would she stroke her hair and tell her "You did nothing wrong Katara. It's okay." Or would she possibly scold her like a young child who had just misbehaved? Katara couldn't contain the hurt any longer. She openly sobbed into her knees crying out into the night. The moon shone brightly upon her, lighting up the dark blue ocean. It used to mean a lot more to her before this. The moon's illumination once brought her joy, and guided her like a light in the dark. Now, even though it was just as bright as ever, it led her to no joy. Instead of guiding her, she was mocked by it. Yue gave her life. Katara took one.

"Katara!" The voice was right behind her. She knew it was Zuko now, but had no motivation to turn around and face him. He leapt onto the mounds of sand behind her, and approached slowly. He heard her weeping. The last thing he wanted to do right now was further upset her. "Katara?" His voice was a murmur.

"What do I do Zuko?" She asked him much to his surprise. He hadn't been expecting that.

"What do you mean?"

"Aang evicted me from the gAang, I have no purpose now." He sat down beside her, even though the sand was thick and soggy.

"Yes you do; to become the best waterbender in the world. And even though Aang does not want you to accompany us, I do. I need someone to be by my side for when I eventually face Azula. I want that to be you." He took her hand and intertwined it with his own. It was quite intimate, he thought. But at that moment, he didn't care. It was the truth. There was nobody else he would have wanted by his side in his destined battle against his deranged sibling. Katara sniffled, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Another unanticipated action.

"Of course Zuko," was all she said. Maybe it was all she had to say. In a matter of less than one sundown, their bond had reformed just as quickly as it had formed in the crystal catacombs. Sure, when he initially betrayed her and joined Azula, he had thought in an instance that any trust he and she shared would have been lost. However, here it was again, shining as brightly as the moon. Katara's eyes felt heavy, and she soon drifted off into a light sleep. Zuko heard her breathing deepen, and he gazed at her face only to find its features finally relaxed as sleep overtook her. He gently laid her on the sand, water still cascading up towards them but not as greatly now. He too laid down, one hand still clasped with hers, the other tucking behind his head as he stared up at the white pearly moon.

* * *

Zuko naturally woke up with the sun shining brightly over him. It had taken the place of the moon merely only hours ago. He glanced to his left to see Katara still deep in her slumber. Her dark skin set her apart from the light sand all around them. The sand, which had been cool, was now heating up from the sun. Soon she would awaken. Would she even remember all that she had been through the day before? It may possibly go down as the worst day in her life, next to the day her mother was taken away. She stirred, and her eyebrows pinched forward as the brightness was too overwhelming.

"Morning." Zuko rolled onto his side facing her. She turned her head and smiled. It was good enough for him. "We should get back to camp." Her smile vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"I can't go back." Her voice cracked.

"Now that Aang has cooled off, I'm sure it'll be oka- -"

"No! It won't ever be okay. Even if he had cooled off, I know what he thinks of me now. I cannot trust him ever again."

"You trust me again Katara," Zuko nervously pushed a strand of her hair out of her face.

"That's a different thing. I should have expected you to betray me."

"Ouch," and he meant it. That did hurt. A lot.

"I'm sorry. But when you think about the situation and the time, we were enemies. Why would I have expected you to suddenly change out of the blue, just by talking with me?"

"Because it's you, and you have a way with people."

"Apparently," her voice trailed off. She sighed and sat up, with Zuko following suit. She rubbed her eyes slowly, meticulously. "I'm hungry." He stifled a laugh at this.

"I can bring you something back from camp if you'd like?" She looked at him and smiled. "All right, stay here." He got up, and brushed the sand from his clothes. She stood as well, and before he could hike back up the small cliff, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. His arms instinctively went around her waist, his eyes closing, savoring the moment.

"Thank you," she whispered so softly he barely caught it. Before parting, she kissed his cheek. He turned quickly and scurried up the hill, almost tripping. He wouldn't have been able to keep his dignity had she seen the deep flush of red that stained his cheeks. It took a decent amount of time to return to camp, of which he saw Suki and Sokka sitting together, their faces panic stricken. They stood abruptly as Zuko came into view.

"Where's Katara? Is she all right?" Zuko had never heard Sokka more nervous and scared.

"She's all right. I stayed the night with her to make sure she was fine." Under other normal circumstances he would have waited for Sokka to punch him square in the jaw for saying such a thing. However, Sokka just looked relieved and even, happy? He whispered a small note of gratitude, and sat back down. Suki had double duty, being both concerned for Sokka and Katara. Toph and Aang were no where in sight. "Where's Toph?"

"She went after Aang to talk him down." Suki took her seat back next to Sokka. "By Kyoshi, I hope she can."

"If anyone can speak sense into him, it's Toph. I know it is," Sokka rambled into his hands. Zuko grabbed two pieces of cooked fish that had been cooling next to the fire.

"I'm taking these for Katara and myself. She wants to lay low until Aang gets figured out. We're on the beach if you two or Toph wants to speak with her. For now though, I will not leave her side." He hoped his reassurance would help ease Sokka. As Zuko walked back to Katara, Sokka held Suki around the waist.

"Suki?" She stroked his hair and asked him what he was thinking about. "I'm a little scared Suki."

"Why, Sokka?"

"Part of me almost agrees with Aang. Katara killed another person, and that is almost unforgivable."

"Almost?"

"Well, that's when the other part of me is glad she did it. That man that took our mother away from us, I feel he deserved whatever Katara gave him. And I'm even jealous that I couldn't have been there to either help or watch as he begged for his life…" He looked up into the hazel eyes of his girlfriend. "I want to talk to Katara today." Suki just nodded her head in agreement with him and continued to stroke his hair back. She hadn't expected Sokka to say something like that. However, as a warrior of Kyoshi, she didn't really want to recall all the times she was forced to defend her country, and ultimately take others' lives. Sometimes Suki even felt like an outsider here with this group that traditionally used their abilities in a non-violent way. Apparently though, she was not alone anymore.

Zuko walked back to the beach only to not see Katara. He searched for about fifteen minutes until he genuinely got worried. He dropped the fish and sprinted up and down the coast, but she was no where in sight. Surely she would have stuck by the water, right? Keening all five of his senses he attempted to locate her. He could smell the salt water, taste the bit of fish he munched on, see only the landscape, feel the hot sand squish between his toes, and hear…hear strange noises coming from the woods across the meadow.

He dashed up the small cliff side and ran across the grassland. The woods were dense, and so if Katara _was_ in here it would take some time. But he honestly couldn't think of anywhere else she'd be…he'd checked everywhere else. He navigated well through the trees, almost getting tripped up by the large roots that seemed like claws reaching for his ankles. He heard a continuous thudding noise and quickened his pace. He could see a small clearing that held a small pool of water. He burst forth into the clearing, only to have a huge rock blast him in the chest.

"Who's there?" Toph's voice rang out in a demanding tone.

"Zu-ko," he could barely catch his breath after the rock knocked him off his feet.

"Oh. You. Sorry." She continued to bend the earth around her ignoring him slightly.

"What are you doing in here?" Zuko sat up holding his chest. Damn, that hurt.

"I'm practicing bending. Aang is so mad he doesn't want to see anyone doing it really."

"Where is Aang?"

"I don't know. I tried to talk to him, but he just blew me off. I figured he should blow off some steam, why?"

"Just wondering I guess. Sokka and Suki are scared about what's going on right now. I even feel that this group might separate soon…" He trailed off soon after that thinking about what he just said.

"I suppose." Toph blasted another rock, this time splintering a tree. "I guess though it could be for the best. You and Katara splitting up from us might be beneficial in a number of ways."

"Wait, what? How?"

"Well, Aang can finally get over her in a healthy way. You two can take care of your crazy sister. And you can finally do what you've been wanting to do since joining us."

"What? Put an end to my family for once and all?"

"No, get with Katara." Zuko was rising to his feet, but he felt like another rock just hammered him back down. "Oh don't even try and deny it. I felt the vibrations on the first day. Aang went around the group asking us if we minded, and both your and her heartbeats kicked it into high gear when it was her turn to speak. She chose her words carefully if you hadn't noticed."

"She threatened to kill me Toph."

"Yeah, but she didn't now did she? And clearly if Katara wants to, she can get the job done. She probably did do that out of concern if you'd betray us, but that wasn't why her heartbeat picked up. Even a couple days ago, when you saved her from the rocks that fell in the Western Air Temple, her heartbeat thumped faster than a jackrabbit."

"Really?"

"Yeah but what do I know? I'm blind."

"Sometimes I think you're the only one that sees clearly Toph." Toph dropped the rocks she had currently been shaping. A smile appeared on her face, and Zuko thought he may have heard a 'thanks' but it could have been the wind. He wasn't sure. "Well, I have to find Katara."

"Katara's missing?"

"Yeah, I left her this morning to get us food. I've been looking for her ever since, well, until you knocked me on my ass."

"Yeah…whoops." Then, Toph's face went from bemused to serious. "Oh no…"

"AANG!" Katara's voice rang out over the empty field. The bald monk turned to face his former crush and Waterbending Master. He did not have any words for her. She walked closer to him, a band of swirling water encircling her. "We need to talk…" The water suddenly split into several ice daggers that were suspended in the air around her.

"Katara," he spoke solemnly. "I thought I instructed you not to bend."

"See, that's the thing Aang, and I've been thinking long and hard about it. You are not the boss of me." Aang's feet suddenly felt wet, and then cold. He peered down to see dead grass, and his feet encased in ice; strong ice. "Now, let's have a little chat Avatar."

**A/N: Well, that's part 2. I hope it's good! My apologies to one reviewer who didn't like the dialogue in the first chapter, you said it was out of character. This is mostly due to the fact that I haven't watched Avatar in such a long time. One Piece has been consuming my life, along with Psych. In addition to that, I was thinking that this whole situation is a little "out of character" so the dialogue might seem it too.**

**Leave me reviews! They're like writing fuel. And a thank you to Band of Horses for being excellent writing background music. I was going to have this be only a trilogy, but now I'm thinking 5 chapters should be decent enough. Leave your comments, questions, concerns and even praise and flames for me in your reviews!! Xoxo Vessa**


	3. Chapter 3

"Aang, don't you understand? I bend for my mother. Asking me to stop would be like commanding me to never think about her, or breathe for that matter!" Katara still kept the ice daggers circling around her. He had to see things clearly. He just had to.

"Katara, I have told you not to bend, several times now. I don't want you to travel with us anymore. You are dangerous. Ever since Hama became your Master, your bending has kept all of us worried sick. And clearly, you have been practicing," he referenced the dead grass at this feet. Hama had taught her how to extract water out of plants.

"Of course I practiced Aang. I was the only waterbender in the whole South Pole! I most likely still am. I am their last defense against this war should you not be able to kill the Fire Lord!"

"I am not going to kill the Fire Lord," he half screamed at her. The words hit her with such a force the breath was nearly knocked out of her.

"You're- -You're not going to kill the Fire Lord?" Katara was thrown off by that. How could he not kill the Fire Lord? That was his destiny! He was to put an end to this war! Hot tears threatened to spill from her blue eyes. "You- -You have to end this war Aang! So many people have died…"

"Yes, I know." He stared at her. His eyes were like steel. His words…they were insulting and calculated.

"How dare you Aang. You judge me and you know what you must do to Lord Ozai! And for you to stand there and say you will not…Do you mock me and this war? Do you mock the suffering of the people? You've been locked away in an ice cube for this war! You don't know what this war has put me through! I've lost EVERYTHING!" She flung an ice dagger at him, it liquefying in mid-air and then locking around his knees turning to ice once again.

"You think I've lost nothing? I lost every last Airbender! You still have your father, brother and gran-gran! Are they not good enough for you?"

"DO YOU MOCK MY PAIN?" She couldn't believe his incredulity. He was telling her that even though her mother was dead she should still carry on with her brother and father and gran-gran. They were fighting in this war too! She could lose them at any single moment! "You don't understand a damn thing Aang!" She threw another ice dagger, this time locking against his hips. "They fight in this war! They fight so you can defeat the Fire Lord! I can't lose them Aang! I will not be left with nothing!"

"I have already been left with nothing. I thought I had found everything once again in you. But even you proved out to be nothing." Her mouth fell open. "Now that you have killed, you are nothing to me." The tears flowed freely now, and the ice daggers floating near her head melted. They splashed to the ground as she lost her ability to stand. She cried loudly burying her face in the dirt. How could he say this to her and after she'd been through so much? Aang used his waterbending to melt the ice shackled around his lower half. "I do not wish to see you anymore." He turned and walked away as a faint voice in the distance called her name.

Zuko came sprinting across the field. From far away he could see Katara attacking Aang with her waterbending, until she collapsed to the ground sobbing. Upon seeing Aang simply walk away, Zuko found the strength to run even faster. He left Toph in his dust. He kneeled down at Katara's side once reaching her. He whispered sweet things like "It's going to be all right" and "We should just go for now." Like she had before on Appa's saddle, she flung herself around him. Toph finally caught up to them huffing and holding her side. She didn't need to say anything upon feeling and hearing what was going on. She simply muttered something about returning to camp, and left the pair alone.

"Zu-ko," Katara coughed. All he could do was stroke her hair, and rub her back. He wasn't sure how to help her now. He thought he had helped her, but clearly she still needed to speak with Aang. Evidently it didn't go down well. Zuko scooped her up in his arms and decided the only place they could go now was back to the beach. He'd lay her there and then return to camp to gather their things. Maybe Toph was right. Maybe the gAang was over and this was the last straw.

"It's okay Katara we're going back to the ocean until I figure out where we can go." His mind raced. Where could they go that was safe? He wasn't entirely sure just yet. First he had to ultimately figure out exactly where they were now. After Appa left the Western Air Temple and he had his fight with Azula, he wasn't exactly paying attention to the direction they were heading.

They reached the ocean again, and he laid her on the sand. Her eyes were puffy with tears. "I'm going to go get our things from camp. Please, please, _please_, stay here. I will be right back." He left her, reluctantly. He didn't want to go with every fiber of his being.

Zuko reached camp in record time. He was running a lot today. Suki was there, but neither Sokka nor Toph were. Suki stood upon seeing him in the horizon. She looked relieved in some way to see him.

"Zuko, oh Kyoshi, I've been worried! I heard Katara attacked Aang! Sokka and Toph went to find and talk to him. This is all getting ridiculous and way out of hand."

"Why's that because Katara killed somebody?" His tone was icy. He didn't mean to be cross with Suki.

"No, I have no problem with that." This surprised Zuko. "I have a problem with how Aang is dealing with all of these. He's been acting very self-righteous. I've caught him twice referring to himself as "The Avatar." It's all a little over the top. I can understand he's against killing, but I mean, come on. This is a time of war. People are dying all the time and people have to kill others."

"Suki, have you killed?" Her cheeks turned red as if she had put her war paint on.

"Well, I, yes," she stammered. "They were invading Kyoshi, what was I supposed to do? Many of my Kyoshi warriors killed men from your crew that one day."

"I know it. I just wanted to hear it from you I guess." Zuko began packing his belongings along with Katara's. He crumpled his tent, but folded hers with care. Suki watched him, and he felt her eyes on the back of his head. "Yes Suki?"

"It's nothing Zuko just…well…I notice the way you stare at her sometimes." This made him drop the tent, ruining his perfect fold job. "I don't mind it in the least. I think it's actually good, especially right now. She really needs you, and I can tell you need her too. I don't think there's anyone here who could even begin to offer her the comfort you are giving her right now." Suki trailed off soon after that. She didn't need to say much more. Her point got across.

Zuko finished packing and lugged all of the clothing back out to the beach. He was happy to see that Katara was still there and hadn't run off again. She was passed out cold in fact. He unpacked her tent and even pitched it far away enough from the water so the tide couldn't reach it. He then filled it with her bedroll and clothing. He barely had anything of his own except two changes of clothes. After taking the time for all of that, he found himself sitting with his legs crossed watching the fall and rise of Katara's stomach.

What had Suki and Toph both meant? _She really needs you, and I can tell you need her too_. Suki's words stuck with him. Zuko had come to terms that he needed Katara's friendship in many ways. But she needed him too? That was the part that struck him as odd. Even Toph pointed out that Katara's heartbeat picked up whenever he was around. Did that mean she had feelings towards him? Obviously not big, strong, over-the-top feelings, but…feelings…Oh what was he going on about? He was rambling like a school girl. However, he couldn't help but smile at this revelation.

It's not like he'd never imagined himself with Katara. Especially on lonely nights back at the Western Air Temple. Seeing Mai only a couple of days ago had struck up certain confusion in him. No doubt a confusion Katara was feeling right now regarding himself and Aang. Was she unsure about whom her feelings lied with? Zuko had been slightly bewildered after seeing Mai, but since then the uneasiness cleared and he knew now that he was developing feelings for Katara. He was sure of it.

When he saved her from the falling rocks, it wasn't just out of instinct. _He_ wanted to save her, nobody else. He could even remember way back, before joining the Avatar when he had her mother's necklace. He would lie in bed and flip the little blue stone between his fingers, and wonder what she was doing with the Avatar and not with him. Now she was with both. And it was as weird and confusing as ever.

The water was warm against his legs as he crawled closer to the tide. He peered over his shoulder to the sleeping waterbender and smiled into his shoulder. It was time for him to come to terms that he and she would be alone from now on. There was no way after Katara attacked Aang that they could continue traveling with the gAang. It was possible that Toph, Suki and Sokka wanted the group to stick together, but Aang didn't. And Aang was the Avatar. Maybe after he defeated the Fire Lord things could be worked out, but for now it would have to wait.

Katara and Zuko would still travel to the Fire Lord's palace and deal with Azula. Just because Aang didn't want them traveling together didn't mean that they weren't going to help or follow through with their plans. No matter what was going on internally with the group, the more important task at hand was stopping Zuko's father. If Aang didn't defeat the Fire Lord, with the comet would come the end of the world as they knew it.

It reminded Zuko about a play he once saw with his family at Ember Island. It was about Fire Lord Azalon controlling the world, but he ran it in a benevolent way. When Zuko first saw it he thought it was such a good idea. Why not have his family rule the entire world in addition to the Fire Nation? It seemed like such a good idea at the time. Not so much anymore. Those plays were never accurate or good anyway.

And that's when it hit him. His family's old beach house when they would go see the Ember Island plays. He and Katara could hide out there while continuing to train and get ready for the battle with Azula. All of a sudden he got chills going down his spine. He'd be alone at his old beach house with Katara. There were so many old memories lingering there. Would new ones be made?

Shaking his head, Zuko scolded himself for thinking anything other than professional thoughts. They were both master benders who were about to face the end of the world, and here he was thinking…Ugh. He was angering himself now. In the morning he would tell Katara they would head off to the beach house, and that'd be the end of it. From here, he could assume it was a couple of day's walk, but if they stuck to the water, they could make it. Then only a few days more until the comet. How she and he would get to the palace from the beach house he hadn't a clue, but for now he'd figure that out later. The beach house was at least closer to the palace than out here.

The salty ocean water was now soaking through his baggy trousers making them stick to his pale legs. He backed up to the tents he set up, and pondered the thought of waking Katara. He set up her tent, but because she was still asleep he did not move her into it. But now, as the sun was setting, he thought maybe he should tuck her in. With a yawn, he discarded his initial thoughts. She'd probably wake up soon. She was just taking a nap from the afternoon's events.

Zuko stood, rolled up his pants and waded out into the ocean with his dagger. He figured he'd make himself useful and catch some fish. It took a while, but eventually he caught three decently sized fish. With a burst of fire he fried them on a piece of stone and let them sizzle in the dusk. If and when she woke up, she could have a fish. For now, Zuko's eyelids also felt heavy, and he crawled into his red tent before drifting off into sleep.

KRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKR

Katara woke to find herself surrounded by darkness and the smell of fish. She held her nose, and soon her eyes adjusted to the night she found herself in. She scanned her surroundings and saw two fish steaming on a flat charcoal stone. They smelled pretty good, and her stomach rumbled responsively. Tentatively, she crawled over through the sand and picked up a now cooling fish. She bit into it, and was surprised to find it slightly spicy. Kicking her feet out from under her, she lay back against a rock and watched the waves crashing into the depths of the ocean.

A low grumble caught her attention. She jerked straight up and peered out of the corner of her eyes. Two tents were set up, one clearly vacant and the other visibly occupied. A dark slump of a figure was lying unmoving inside. Katara could only imagine it was Zuko, and rightfully so. The poor guy was running and chasing after her all day, consoling her, soothing her, making sure she was all right. She very much appreciated his presence in the group all of a sudden. Suki, Toph and Sokka were probably trying like crazy to make sure Aang was okay since he had to deal with the Fire Lord. However, only Zuko was truly trying to make sure _she_ was okay and not for any other gain.

Katara nibbled on the fish, pulling the meat off the bone and savoring the thin slices in her mouth. She was tempted to wake Zuko up and talk. Talk about what she was unsure: the upcoming fight with Azula, or if Zuko will become the next Fire Lord, who he will marry and make his Fire Lady. Or maybe she would be called the Fire Queen. When he woke up she would have to ask him. She was quite interested in Fire Nation culture after he joined their group. He meditated everyday, and even Jeong Jeong had told Aang breathing was the most important aspect of firebending. She found it odd. Practicing the arm movements was most important to waterbending, and she had assumed that was most important all throughout bending. However with Toph it seemed the stance was most important, and with Aang maybe it was creativity and being carefree.

The thoughts of Aang made her put the fish down on the simmering stone. Swallowing the last bite of fish, she felt the need to cry once more but no fresh tears surfaced. She had met her limit she guessed. Most of her crying was because Aang was rejecting her, however sometimes she caught herself crying because of her mother. Oh how Katara missed her mother even after all these years. It was true when she told Aang that she couldn't stop waterbending because of her mom. Her mother gave up her life to protect Katara, and that included her bending.

Her thoughts, after her mother, would then go to her mother's killer. She felt remorse, of course she did, and she was still herself. But something was different. Something had changed. She felt older, wiser somehow. Almost in the same retrospect as Suki or Zuko; they always seemed to be ahead of the rest of the group. Like they had seen it all, done it all, and known it all. She suddenly felt like that. And in the wake of what was to come, the fight with Azula, she felt confident as well. She still recognized that Azula was a viable threat and not to be taken lightly, but Katara felt like she could contend with her better now. And it made her smile to herself, as she tucked her chin into her knees.

"Katara…" Zuko's voice faintly broke her thoughts. He stirred in his tent, his hand drooping out onto the sand.

"Yes Zuko?" She answered him meekly but he did not respond. She called to him a little louder, but still no response. It was then that Katara figured out he was still asleep and dreaming. But why he was dreaming of her she had no idea. Her smile widened, though it disturbed her even more. An even more disturbing question arose in her mind. Why did Zuko dreaming of her make _her_ smile more?

As the moonlight shone brightly upon her, a shiver shot down her spine, but it was unclear if this was solely because of weather. Suddenly, the tent looked inviting; But not hers…his. Pinching her eyes shut Katara rubbed her temples harshly. These thoughts were all swimming around inside her head and as far as she could tell they were coming out of no where. Aang, Zuko, her mother, her mother's killer, her actions, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Azula, the Fire Lord, the comet; all of these thoughts it was enough to make her head pound.

Against her better judgment she slowly inched her way closer to the red tent. There was definitely enough room for two. And if he questioned her in the morning, she might be able to work up some tears and sob about not wanting to be alone anymore. Maybe he'd fall for it. Or maybe he would consider traveling with her a bad idea. It was a fifty-fifty chance, but it was one she was surprisingly willing to take.

And so under the almost full moon, she pulled back one of the dark red flaps to the tent and crawled next to Zuko's slumbering form making sure she tracked no sand inside. He was as warm now as he was during the day. Apparently firebenders could control their own internal temperature. Yet another thing about him she'd want to find out for sure. He was on his side, and she lay next to him pressing her back against his chest. Her eyes closed and she felt at ease for the first time in a few days.

But as soon as she felt at ease, his arm wrapped around her waist and his face nuzzled into her brown tresses. Her eyes whipped open and a small gasp escaped her lips. He wasn't awake though, he must have done it instinctively. Her shock soon wore off, and the smile graced her lips once more. The sense of ease settling deep into the pit of her stomach once more, which was now being cradle by the master firebender behind her.

**Hey! Sorry this took so long to get out to you guys! I'm home from college now so I hope to update faster. I'm already thinking about the future of this story. Might end up being longer than 5 chapters! Which if you like this story is good news! Please review whether you have positive comments or negative! I love reviews and they inspire me to write more! Hope everyone liked this chapter, and please leave comments, questions and concerns in those reviews! Thanks!**

**Vessa Blackheart**


	4. Chapter 4

Katara wasn't surprised when she awoke the next morning to find that Zuko wasn't in the tent with her. The sun was up and he was sitting on the beach watching the ocean waves crash. She was surprised to see him doing this. Most of his actions as of late perplexed her. The fish from the night before were gone, no doubt they went bad or Zuko found bugs feasting on them. Katara smoothed out her hair the best way she could and cleared her throat. His golden orbs truly looked like two suns staring at her. For a moment his gaze was imposing, but then he smiled.

"Morning! It's about time." His grin broadened, and she felt a small blush creep along her cheeks.

"Good morning."

"Well, hopefully it will be. I figured out a place we can go other than this beach." Katara's heart skipped a beat at his words.

"Really? Where?"

"My parents' old beach house, it's not far from here and if we keep a move on or can find some way to get there via animal."

"What about Appa?"

"Right, like Aang will let us use his bison."

"Who said we had to ask for permission?" This stunned Zuko. He didn't think he'd ever hear Katara say those words, or even think those thoughts. "We could just take him in the middle of the night and then tell him to fly back here. Appa and Momo still like us." She gave a soft chuckle, but Zuko could see a hint of pain in her eyes. And who could blame her? She'd been through a lot in the last couple of days. But it was probably best if they concentrate on the future.

"Well, if that's what you want to do I'm fine with it. But I think once we get to the beach house we should train right away and get ready for the battle with Azula." She nodded her head rather sternly.

"That sounds like a great idea. As for the rest of the day, until we leave tonight, I'm kind of hungry," she gestured to the ocean sheepishly. Zuko sighed and began hitching up his pants. He had no problems getting fish, although he did miss the days when it would be served up on a silver platter for him and his uncle. He should have valued those days more and listened to his Uncle Iroh. Instead of worrying about his honor, he should have absorbed all that his Uncle taught him.

As he waded out into the water, he took notice of Katara bending some water into different shapes onto the beach. She was always practicing and it made him smirk to himself. But soon his smile faded as he remembered what he woke up to only a few hours prior. He was cuddling with Katara. She must have crept into his tent while he was asleep, and they embraced during the night apparently. He hadn't minded which was why he didn't want to bring it up to Katara; didn't want to make her feel self-conscious in any way. He himself was actually shocked but glad with how he woke up. His face was buried into her curly hair, and it smelled great. Her body was warm, although it was mostly due to him.

And then a strange thing began to happen, and he was glad in that instant his waist was under the water. Or else Katara may have gotten an image she'd rather soon forget. Light red adorned his cheeks, and he began thinking of dead horn-puppies and a common game played in the Fire Nation. It wasn't helping. Zuko heard her giggling to herself, and he waded out further into the ocean. Did she see? Was it even possible with the dark blue water surrounding him? He decided not to risk it and just focus on catching the damn fish. If he took any longer Katara might swim out to help him.

Katara could feel the water. She pushed and pulled it easily, and it brought her nothing but absolute joy. She even found herself humming and giggling as she did so. It was just so simple. The water flowed from the sea into the air, and with a flick of her wrist it formed into a whip meant to strike somebody down. If Zuko took any longer catching the fish, she was going to smack him in the back of the head. Her gaze shifted from the water whip to the half naked man wading out into the water.

The water splashed against his pale, muscular form and her cheeks heated as she watched the water droplets trickle down his body. He kept walking further out to sea, and the water kept hiding different parts of his beautifully sculpted body. The water was high around his waist slightly pushing him back each wave after the next. His dagger was in his hand as he looked down trying to seek out a suitable fish for the pair of them to eat. The way his hair wisped over his face caused Katara to bite her lip and go through the waterbending movements more vigorously. These feelings had never risen in Katara before. She'd never looked at Aang or even Jet and _bit_ her lip or felt…turned on? Was that was this feeling was?

She wanted to run through the water, even part it with her bending so she could reach him faster, and just tackle him. But after the tackling, she imagined him kissing her fully on the lips. The waves would continue to crash around them, but steam would rise from where they stood. He'd then cease kissing her, and drag his lips to her neck kissing, biting and sucking at her sensitive skin. Her hands would caress his wet taut body, and his hands would cup her face as he returned kissing her.

"Hey, Katara!" His voice snapped her out of her daydream and the water she was bending fell to the dry sand below. She looked back at him after collecting her thoughts, and saw he had two fish skewered on his dagger and was trudging back. He had gone out even further than when she had last looked at him. The waves were higher, water splashing around his shoulders. She smiled and waved to him trying to cover up the fact that she had just been thinking about him in a less than respectable way.

Her eyes went wide as a surprisingly large wave formed behind the unsuspecting firebender. "Zuko!" She cried out, and he looked behind him only to be knocked down immediately and disappear under the blue water. When he didn't come back up, Katara ran into the sea. Using her bending she pushed the water out of her way letting her run faster. Diving under the water she opened her eyes and saw why he didn't come back. His pants leg was caught on small piece of coral and there was a small cut on Zuko's forehead. Apparently when he got knocked under, his head knocked a rock. Bending the water once more she created an air pocket around Zuko's and her mouths. Katara sliced his pants with the dagger freeing him and dragging him back to shore.

Once on the dry land she bent any water out of his lungs, and proceeded to heal the cut on his face. While he was still unconscious, her curiosity got the best of her, and she attempted healing some of the scar over his left eye. It took some time and a lot of water, but she actually healed a bit of the outer edges on his ear. It wasn't much, but something told her that if she were to heal his scar daily, after a while, it might heal completely. The process of healing him did exhaust her, which had never happened before. She could imagine that healing scars, injuries that have been around for a while, took more out of her than healing recent injuries and small cuts.

He wasn't waking up. It concerned her. After healing his injuries and removing the water he breathed in he should have woken up. Maybe, just maybe, he needed extra air. She had learned a technique from her Gran-Gran after there were no more benders left in the South Pole. Drowning had unfortunately become a rare, but tragic side effect of having no benders. And without any benders, the village people were taught a different way to save people. It involved opening the air way and breathing into the person's lungs. In between this, pressing on the heart would stimulate it back into action. Katara now found herself pressing on his chest, and biting her lip again as she stared at his slightly blue tinged lips.

Tentatively, she lowered her face down to his. Upon being less than an inch from his mouth she could feel light breaths coming from him. But even with knowing he was breathing, Katara was still tempted by the predicament she found herself in. And he wasn't awake yet, what harm could it do? Pressing her lips to his was easy, but what to do afterwards she wasn't sure. His lips were considerably cold, but hers were warming them the longer she pressed her lips against his. Soon, she found herself closing her eyes.

Zuko wanted to cough. But something was keeping his lips shut. He opened his golden orbs and saw Katara, up close and personal. His brain must have not been working because it took quite a bit of time to realize what was going on. He couldn't cough because another set of lips were restraining him from doing so. And those lips belonged to somebody that he never expected would kiss him: Katara. He couldn't help himself, even though he had honestly dreamed of this. But he jerked away, startled.

Her eyes which had been closed opened, and her face was apologetic. "Zuko! You got knocked over by a wave, and could have drowned! I-I uh, I saved you." She said all of this rushed and with pink adorning her cheeks.

"I know. It's all right Katara." He sat up slowly coughing, but no water came up. Surely she bent it out of him. His dry lungs now hurt, something he assumed she didn't expect, and he was thirsty and needed fresh water. "Do you have anything to drink?" he rasped. She nodded her head quickly and pulled out her water skin. He took a sip and felt better instantly. "Thanks," he whispered. He wasn't making eye contact with her.

"I-I'm sorry Zuko!" Katara blurted out randomly. "I was worried that my waterbending didn't heal you, and in my country we were taught another way to save drown victims and it's this process of pushing on the heart to get it beating again, and breathing air into the person's lungs. That-That's all I was trying to do and I'm sorry if I frightened you or something, I didn't mean t-"A pruny finger smashed against her lips, silencing her. Zuko sat beside her, now looking into her glassy blue eyes. She didn't realize that tears were starting to form. Maybe she could convince him they were out of embarrassment.

"Stop." It was all he said before something else was pressed against her lips. Zuko replaced his finger with his lips. They were warmer now that he was awake, and Katara gasped at the contact. It was easy when he was passed out, but now that he was kissing her, of his own volition, it was something else. It wasn't hard, or easy. It was just…wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. She kissed him back, praying to Yue she was a good kisser.

Katara didn't know what she was doing, that much Zuko could surmise. But he was turned on by her enthusiasm. She just had to soften her lips a bit, passion didn't mean puckering up so tight that her mouth was a fortress. He broke away and ran a padded thumb over her bottom lip. "Relax," he whispered so softly he thought for a second she didn't hear him, until she nodded and licked her lips. A gesture that he found irresistible. He kissed her again, and was pleased when her lips remained soft and plump. A quick learner; Zuko liked that. If she was adventurous, he could really have some fun with this.

Using the tip of his tongue, he lightly caressed her top lip. She smiled at this mid-kiss, and he did it again. She liked it when he was sweet. Then, he nibbled lightly on her plump bottom lip eliciting a short intake of breath from the waterbender. But also, a soft petite noise of approval. She liked it if he was a bit rougher.

Adventurous; a complete turn-on to the exiled prince.

Katara cautiously put her arms around his neck, and he grabbed her waist in response pulling her closer. How easy it would be if he laid back and had her straddle him; To continue this significant kiss and possibly have it turn into something more. It would have been easy, but nothing about Katara came easy, and Zuko thought that was one of the reasons he was attracted to her. She didn't cave to his whim, or take advantage of him. Although certainly a few minutes ago she took advantage of his unconscious state. But what a sight to wake to.

Zuko's eyes widened and he broke the kiss abruptly. Katara's lips were still puckered, but now the tinge of pink was returning back to her mocha skin. He had been so swept up in the kiss until one crushing moment. Katara's hands had skimmed against his neck and ears. It was a fairly harmless act; except for one problem. Zuko felt it on both sides of his head. His right ear had never been a problem, but his left? The nerve endings from the scarred skin had lost most feeling, and therefore any physical contact he did not feel. But he felt Katara just now. He brought a hand up to his ear and felt the skin. Skin. Not a burn or scar. The tip of his ear was reshaped and healed.

"What did-How…" He had lost his ability to speak.

"You had a cut on your forehead that I healed, and curiosity kind of got the better of me. You were going to let me try it in the crystal catacombs. I didn't think it would be a problem, I'm sorry." Her voice was meek and trembled faintly.

"And it worked?"

"A little bit, yes. My theory is if I worked on it everyday or something, it might heal completely." His right eye widened at this shocking news.

"You're kidding…?"

"No." Her eyes met his and Zuko felt something deep down in his stomach. He gripped her chin gently and tipped it up making her eye level with him.

"Thank you so much Katara." And he pressed his lips against her again, this time with more passion behind it. She responded again, happy now that she knew he wasn't upset with her. His hand dipped under her clothes touched the skin of her belly, which jerked in response to his touch. She never once broke the kiss though. Not until a voice shot out from above.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The pair broke apart only to find themselves staring into the very angry blue eyes of Katara's only brother:

Sokka.


	5. Chapter 5

Neither Katara nor Zuko knew what to say to the fuming Sokka. Zuko imagined if Sokka were a firebender smoke would be trailing from his nostrils. His face was contorted in a look of confusion and horror. Katara felt bad. Everything had been falling apart around them, and she never once made sure her older brother was all right.

"Sokka…I…" She felt the need to cry creeping up on her again but for different reasons.

"I came to check on you, but apparently…_you're just fine_!" He held his arms in front of him, gesturing to the situation he walked in on. "Just…what the hell even is _this?"_ His voice escalated the longer he gazed upon Zuko sitting next to his baby sister. For a moment, he wanted to talk himself out of what he was seeing. That Zuko wasn't kissing his sister, but rather helping her get a piece of fish out of her teeth, with his lips…? But that just wasn't plausible.

"Sokka…" Zuko stood, but placed his hand on Katara's shoulder. Sokka's better half could have recognized that as comforting, a supportive hand. However, the fury in him just wanted to see that Zuko was copping a feel on his sister.

"Don't touch my sister!" Sokka leapt down from the cliff side and landed uneasily in the shifty sand. But at least he landed. Falling on his ass wouldn't have done well for the situation. "You will _never_ touch her again!" Sokka grabbed for Katara, but she pulled out of his reach.

"Sokka, let us explain first before you _freak_ out on us." Zuko couldn't help but smile at her words. She said "us" not "him." He was glad that Katara wasn't going to pin the entire thing on him. She started it anyway, he remembered a few nights back she kissed him on the cheek and then invited herself into his tent. "Sokka, please, listen to me. It's no big deal, so please calm down."

"It's no big deal? No big deal?" Sokka clutched his growing hair and tugged. Katara noted a few strands still clenched in his fists as he lowered it back to his side.

"How Sokka? How is it a big deal?" She folded her hands across her chest. Zuko felt bad for taking a peek, but again he blamed her for bringing the attention to that area.

"It…well…I can't…It just is Katara, and I'm not leaving you alone with this _creep_ anymore!" Again he took a swipe at her to latch onto her arm and she shifted out of it.

"He's not a creep, and if you take me away from him I _will_ be alone! It's nice that you've come to check on me but it is three days after the fact! Zuko has been with me the entire time! And then you walk in on a private moment and blow it up! I don't appreciate that Sokka, please understand. I'm not a child anymore!" Upon speaking her peace, she saw his features lighten, followed by slight remorse. He made another grab for her, but it was gentler. She still leapt back, but he gave a somber face.

"I'm trying to hug you Kat." He chuckled, and Katara left Zuko's side embrace her brother. Zuko had never heard Sokka call Katara "Kat" before, but the nickname appealed to him. It was only further proof of what Zuko had been discovering all along. That Katara was more than just the motherly figure of this group. She wanted more than to just look out for everybody. Katara had a fire, ironically, inside her. She wanted to master her element, save the world with the Avatar, but after all of that Zuko wasn't sure what she wanted. But he definitely wanted to find out.

The siblings' hug ended and Zuko was brought back to reality, and what was happening right in front of him. He couldn't help but smile, but it soon faded when Sokka caught his eye. The man held an arm out to Zuko, of which he grabbed.

"You're not a creep, and I'm sorry." Zuko's smile returned and Sokka pulled him in to clap him on the back.

"It's all right Sokka, as long as we're on a good page." Zuko did not want any more animosity between Katara and himself versus anyone else in the group.

"Yeah it's all right. I just came to make sure you _both_ are okay, and to let you know we're leaving tomorrow."

"Leaving? Leaving for where?"

"I got a message from Piandao and The White Lotus," Zuko's eyebrow shot up. "They told us they're hiding out somewhere in the Earth Kingdom and want us to meet up with them before the comet. They want to take back Ba Sing Se." Zuko could feel his chest swelling. Was his uncle with them?

"Did it mention anything about my Uncle Iroh?" The hope must have been radiating through his eyes, but it was met with a dull blue.

"No, it was only signed by Master Piandao. Sorry." Sokka's voice was apologetic, but Zuko could only nod and try to smile. "What are you two going to do though?"

"Well, Zuko still wants to fight his sister when the comet comes to prevent her from being crowned Fire Lord. So, we're going to make our way there. Zuko wants me to be around if his sister tries anything dirty."

"How are you getting there?" Katara's and Zuko's eyes shifted and a small blush crept up on Katara's face.

"We're going to borrow Appa tonight and fly deeper into the Fire Nation." Katara actually grinned at her brother who did not wear a look of shock on his face.

"I'll try and lead Aang away from camp then." He grinned back much to Zuko's surprise. "Where are you going to hide out?"

"My parents had a beach house in Ember Island. It's not that far from the Palace. And around this time of the year, there are probably tons of boat renters."

"Great, you guys are going to a mini-palace beach house, and we're camping in the mud." This elicited a giggle from Katara, and Zuko gaped at her adoringly. Sokka's eyebrows rose upon seeing Zuko's reaction to his sister.

"I'm sure it's not a _palace_…" Katara met Zuko's gaze, but upon seeing his face, she pursed her lips together. "Ok, maybe it is." Sokka rolled his eyes, but then couldn't help but smirk at the way Zuko interacted with Katara. He had always known his sister to be spontaneous and a lot of fun. But over the past couple of months she became extremely nurturing and almost mother like. Ever since Zuko joined, he saw the spark rekindle in her eyes. Hell, she was plotting to steal Appa. That was the sister he grew up with, and it made him happy.

"Well, I better get going. I'm glad you're doing better Kat. After this whole Sozin's comet thing is over and taken care of, we will meet you at the Fire Nation Palace. Good luck with Azula; both of you." He then proceeded to hug both Katara and Zuko before climbing back up the hill. As he disappeared over the cliffs he cast a sideways glance back at his baby sister giving a weak smile. She returned it and waved meekly; both of them hoping that wasn't their final goodbye.

"So, now what?" Katara smoothed out her skirt even though there were no wrinkles. For some reason, nervousness had sunk its way back into her system. Zuko knew there would be a long time before they could steal Appa and go to Ember Island. The sun was just at its highest point in the day. His stomach grumbled and he remembered that he hadn't successfully caught breakfast for them. Although jumping back into the water he almost drowned in previously didn't appeal to him. Maybe he could find something in the forest above the cliff.

"I think I'm going to go to the forest and try and get something for us to eat. Would you like to come? There's a small freshwater pond in there if you want to get us drinks."

"I could also pick some berries. I'm not my brother I can't live off of meat alone." He helped her up the cliff and they went their separate ways in the forest. Zuko was disappointed that their moment had passed them by. It felt as if they had never kissed at all now. It also wasn't as passionate as he would have wanted, but he could assume that Katara had never really kissed a guy before. He'd have to take things slow with her.

The forest didn't prove to be much of a distraction. He heard birds chirping but knew he could never catch one of those for a meal. He'd have to find a rabbit, or billed gopher for lunch. But there weren't many animals about and all Zuko could concentrate on was Katara, and the innocent kiss they shared. Zuko tried to make it not so innocent by touching the skin of her stomach, and he was glad to remember that she didn't pull away. She just trembled, but he found her shyness and purity a turn on.

Zuko took off after a billed gopher stealthily, ducking in between trees and finally setting behind a bush growing orange berries. It pecked innocently at the ground eating a stray daffodil. Zuko unsheathed the dagger and gripped it firmly in his hand. On his tippy toes, he maneuvered around the bush and sized up the animal. It had no idea he was there. Zuko leapt from his crouch ready to strike the animal, when an ice dagger impaled it through its side. Zuko turned and saw Katara, a triumphant look on her face.

"You can pick the berries." She picked the gopher up from the tail and stuck her tongue out at him. "I got the water already." She pointed at the orange berries in the bush Zuko was once hiding in. "Those are safe to eat. Pick some, woman." And with that she took off laughing. Zuko grinned broadly and took off after her.

"GET BACK HERE!" He shouted, birds flying out of their nests, surprised. She laughed, carrying the dead gopher, but kept hopping and skipping over tree roots. She seemed just out of his reach, but he was a better tracker and runner. The way she was carrying on, Zuko knew she would run out of steam first. And after passing a few more trees, he noticed her slowing down. It was easy for him to pick up speed; he wasn't running full out to begin with. She flipped her brown wavy hair over her shoulder, and Zuko saw her eyes widen when she discovered how close he was. All he could do was grin wickedly at her, his golden eyes full of mischief.

She half-yelped and turned behind a tree, pressing her back to the bark. Zuko, quick and sure-footed, stayed with her and soon had his chest pressed against hers. Both were out of breath and she dropped the gopher from her gloved hand. Neither could help the smiles adorned on their faces. Their childish rampage through the woods was the most fun thing they did in the past few days.

"Katara…" He whispered her name, and if possible her smile grew. He dropped his head to her lightly coated sweaty neck and kissed it. She stiffened, but didn't protest. Zuko took that as a good sign. A small noise escaped her lips as he began to suck softly in the same spot he just nuzzled. He bit her tender skin and knew it would bruise, and Katara would most likely question how easily he marked her. But at this point it didn't quite matter. All he knew was he had Katara exactly where he wanted her, groaning and gripping his muscled arms, unsure of what she was feeling but knowing she liked it. And he couldn't help but enjoy it too.

"Zuko…" She breathed his name, and he felt himself grow harder. But Zuko knew that he couldn't scare her away, and he tried to simmer himself down some. It was difficult though as he continued to kiss his way up to her plump pink lips. They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like years, the comet, the gAang, and the last few days, all behind them. And then he kissed her, with all he had, and all he could muster.

And she responded back with the same gusto. She gripped his arms even tighter, and he held her around the waist bringing her closer. And finally, after devouring her lips for what felt like an eternity, she parted her mouth and let her hot delicious tongue dart out to tap his lip. Zuko smiled in the kiss, and let his own tongue dominate hers. As his tongue caressed hers, she gasped and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue past her lips and into her sweet tasting mouth.

It was then that Zuko felt Katara's nails dig into his arms, she was completely unsure of what she was experiencing. But Zuko knew that he wouldn't allow it to continue any further than this. He had to reinsure her of the same. He broke apart from her getting a swift glance at her swollen lips. He met her eyes again and smiled. She smiled shyly in return and he stroked her cheek with this index finger.

"Are you all right?" She nodded slowly and cleared her throat timidly.

"It's just – I've never – I've never done this before…" Her cheeks flushed in clear embarrassment and her eyes broke contact with his. He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him again.

"It's okay Katara. I'm not as experienced as you may think I am." She scoffed at his words, but his face grew stern and she listened intently again. "I'm not. All I've really learned is to just relax and learn. I know you're not an expert, I'm not either. But I do know that we both want this. I feel it in the way we kiss, and if you do want to stop, I want you to know you can tell me at any point and I'll understa-…"

But Katara didn't let him finish his sentence because she slammed her lips against his again in a heated kiss that sent both their hearts racing.

**Author's Notes: And I'm evil because I'm stopping it there, I know. I hope everyone is loving this story, and that you guys will be happy to know that I originally wanted this to be a trilogy, then 5 chapters, but now? Who the hell knows? It'll end when I want it to I guess! But for right now, I' m not sure where I want it to go.**

**As always REVIEW! I need them as sustenance to know you guys like my story! And also if any of you are fans of my story "To Blame the Eclipse" keep an eye out for an update, or check out my profile page. **

**If you have any ideas, thoughts, questions or concerns leave them in a REVIEW! Thanks! **

**~ Vessa Blackheart**


	6. Chapter 6 Part 1

The cool air felt good against Katara's skin. It had been a hot day, in more than one aspect of the word. And finally, the sun had set, the moon rose and it was time for she and Zuko to put their plan into action. It was time to steal Appa. Katara hoped that the sky bison would be thrilled to see both of them considering the fact they had disappeared for about three days. Katara remembered when Appa was stolen by sand benders and they went weeks without seeing their furry friend. He was so happy to see them, and it was interesting to learn a few weeks ago that it was Zuko who freed Appa.

The grass rustled as the winds picked up. She and Zuko were dressed head to toe in black, and had their faces covered by masks. It was the same garb they adorned when they went to the Southern Raiders. Katara thought they looked like ninjas. She commended herself for infiltrating the Southern Raiders with Zuko and almost taking out their leader. She could have, but he was not the one she was after and so she let him go. Zuko was shocked when he saw her bloodbend for the first time. Katara figured he'd still want an explanation for what technique she'd done. She promised herself to tell him after they defeated Azula and Ozai.

Appa slept away from the camp near the water in case he got thirsty, but was near enough that if something were to happen the gAang could make a quick escape. He snored loudly and groaned every now and then in his sleep. Katara snuck up to him and began to pet his forehead, soothing him awake. A pair of big brown eyes greeted her and he sat up quickly to roar loudly.

"Shhh! Shhh! Appa it's me Katara!" She pulled down the mask to reveal her face to Appa. He immediately shushed up and licked the side of her face. Zuko removed his mask and also slowly approached only to also be greeted by the lick-fest. They both petted Appa before throwing their packs onto his saddle. Zuko hoisted Katara up on Appa's neck as he himself climbed into the saddle. "Appa, we must be _quiet_ okay? Yip-yip." He took to the air quietly and Katara peered down below to see the campfire from the gAang burning brightly. Only Toph and Suki sat around it, and Katara smiled to know her brother did keep Aang away.

Zuko stared out into the night sky counting the stars. From here, Ember Island wasn't too far, and Appa should be able to get back to the gAang before they even notice he ever went missing. He whispered the way to Katara and knew it was sending chills down her spine. She pulled on the reigns flying Appa in the direction Zuko told her. It didn't take long until she could see an island in the distance. It wasn't large, but there was a building that stood out against hilly tops and large palm trees.

"Is that the beach house?" She asked Zuko in a breathless manor. Other than the homes in Ba Sing Se she had never seen such a large home before.

"Yeah, it is. It's late, so when we land I'll just show you where you can sleep. I highly doubt you want Azula's old room, so you can sleep in one of the guest rooms."

"Oh you're a proper prince all right, you don't offer me your room!" She turned to face him and he smiled cruelly.

"You want to see _my_ bedroom do you?" He pressed his mouth against her ear whispering in her ear, his hot breath tickling her and yet, arousing at the same time. "I can give you a hands-on tour, especially the bed…" He licked the shell of her and felt the goose bumps rise on her skin.

"M-Maybe." Even after the days' festivities she still blushed. They had spent most of their afternoon making out on the beach. It started in the forest, and even though they knew they had to eat and plot their plan for stealing Appa, they weren't able to keep themselves off each other. When Katara kissed him Zuko felt on top of the world. She had gone for him, shutting him up after he began to ramble. He found it hot. She admitted to him that Aang had close mouthed kissed her once before and it didn't do anything for her the way Zuko's kisses ignited her passion. Okay, she hadn't said "ignited her passion" but that was basically the drift Zuko got.

It was nothing more than that. She had finally opened herself up to him kissing her in a way of the Fire Nation. It was an opened mouth kiss, and a lot of using their tongues to explore each other's mouths. She had been hesitant at first, uneasy with the intrusion of his tongue in her mouth. But once she got used to it she never wanted him to stop much like he thought she'd react. Although, hours later, she still shivered every time he entered her personal space and spoke dirty, or suckled her neck. It was like every time was still the first time to her. Zuko didn't mind.

Appa eventually landed in the courtyard of this massive "beach house" and let out a small grunt of sleepiness. Katara murmured into the beast's ear to fly back to Aang, and he tilted his head in confusion. But the waterbender patted his head between his eyes, and eventually the sky bison took flight, disappearing into the darkness. It left Katara alone with Zuko with a lot of pent-up feelings and unspoken words.

Even though they had spent the entire afternoon kissing, Katara recognized that at this point it was all physical and neither of them admitted to having _real_ feelings for each other. Maybe neither of them wanted to admit it. In a few days they'd be risking their lives to put an end to Ozai's tyranny and muddling up the next few days with emotion was too dangerous. They had to train, they had to plan, they had to fight, and they eventually had to take their part in saving the world.

But when Zuko wrapped his arms around her curvy waist, these thoughts left Katara's busy mind and all she could think of was the fact that she was being hugged by the exiled Prince of the Fire Nation. A predicament she never thought she'd find herself in. His warm breath eased over the skin of her neck and she relaxed in his embrace. His chin rested on her shoulder, both of them staring down the beach house he visited so frequently with his family.

"I'm tired." Katara eventually sighed, stifling a yawn. Zuko let go of her and stepped to stand beside her. He nodded and tentatively held her hand to lead her inside. It wasn't hard for him to kick down the door, which had several layers of dust coating it. "I'd imagine there'd be better security here." Katara looked around and saw several Fire Nation artifacts and artwork embellishing the mini-palace. There were also old paintings of the Fire Nation family. One of them had Ozai, Azula, an unfamiliar woman, and a young Zuko smiling proudly. Azula and Ozai both had cruel expressions on their faces, even though it was a family portrait. But the older woman, who Katara could only briefly guess was Zuko's mother, had her hand on her proud looking son.

"My room is this way." Zuko did not allow Katara much time to stare at the old paintings before he tightened his grip on her hand and led her down a dark hallway. The entire beach house was open and airy and overall pleasant despite the plants being dead, several cracks in the walls, and dust covering every surface. Zuko eventually stopped in front of a dark door and turned the golden knob. The room was huge, bigger than their living room in Ba Sing Se. A large bed lay right in the middle covered in red sheets, a small book case with two chairs sat still in the corner and a large windowed door was opposite of them. Katara could see it led to a terrace that overlooked several palm trees and the hills.

Zuko gently shut the door behind her and walked over to his bed, which Katara noticed was big enough for two {or three or four}. He pulled off his shirt as he walked and tossed it onto the floor. Katara's eyes bulged and she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. She had been kidding about them sharing a room.

"Where am I sleeping?" She piped up questionably. Zuko turned to frown at her.

"Here." He gestured to the bed.

"Zuko I was just messing around earlier when I said - - I didn't mean for us to…"

"I know, but when you mentioned that, plus there being no security here I figured in the case somebody does show up here, we should be together. This bed is huge so we'll never even know the other is there. Plus, you were the one who snuck into _my_ tent a night ago."

"I was upset!" She protested and he smirked at her causing her to calm.

"Well, I'm upset so will you please join me?"

"Why are you upset?" She crossed her arms and did her best to stop smiling. But she was failing miserably.

"Because there's a beautiful girl in my room right now who doesn't want to be. It's very crushing to my ego." He held his chest and looked pained. Katara giggled under her breath.

"Oh well we wouldn't want to damage _that_." She unfastened her dress, and slowly removed her pants being in nothing but her bindings. She wasn't going to sleep in her dress that probably had sand in it. It also hadn't been washed in a few days. All in all, she probably stank. "Is there a way to bathe around here?"

"I thought you were tired." He looked at her as he pulled the covers down from the bed. They were both surprised to see that the sheets were spotless, considering everything else was dusty.

"I am, but I probably smell bad."

"Yeah, you do a little I guess. I do too though." Her jaw dropped and she couldn't help herself as she swatted him the shoulder.

"Just tell me where the damn bath is!"

"Oh-ho! Now we're saying 'damn.' Miss Katara I had no idea you had such a dirty mouth."

"I'd figure you realized that during today's events." She took a few steps away from him and looked at the floor. He had to agree though. After their entire day long make out session she had become quite eager and good at kissing and using her mouth in all kinds of pleasurable ways.

"The bath is through that door." He pointed at a piece of artwork that hung lonely on the wall. Katara didn't even see at first how it was a door, but the sliding handle suddenly stuck out from the rest of the art and she nodded whispering a thanks. He finished turning down the bed and heard water running soon after she disappeared behind the sliding door. Zuko then heard her humming softly to herself and water sloshing around. He decided if she was going to bathe then maybe he should too.

Leaving his room he walked down the hall barefoot to a few rooms down. It was his mother's old room and he decided to wash up quickly inside it. The water filling the basin was freezing but it was no problem heating it up with his firebending. He dipped his body inside it slowly reveling at the heat and sinking down to his shoulders. His eyes closed and for a moment he truly enjoyed the silence, the only annoying habit bothering him was his brain ticking away with thoughts of Katara, the comet and the upcoming fight with his sister.

He wasn't sure how long he laid there in the still bathwater, before he heard troubled screams coming from his room. Suddenly, the screams were in the room adjacent to him. He stood to reach for the towel, but the bathroom door slid open and Katara stood there shaking. She didn't even seem to register the sight she had walked in on.

"Don't ever leave me again! I was so worried when you weren't there!"Zuko gave her an uneasy smile, and her eyes gazed downward. He was naked, and her blue orbs were transfixed on his member that lay between his legs. "Oh." She blushed and turned away without even closing the door. Zuko also felt embarrassed that after the day's events, and the sudden awkwardness that arose between them, she now just saw his package. Like that was going to eradicate any of their previous uncomfortable moments.

Katara held onto the wall as she made her way back to the room. She had seen many soldiers naked before, but Zuko? That was one now solved mystery. She couldn't help but giggle as she replayed the image over and over in her head. The panic she had felt was quickly erased with shock, embarrassment, and no hiding it now but arousal. Zuko was…she wanted to say huge but the only word that came to her mind was "perfect." It seemed he had the appropriate length and width, and it wasn't a hairy mess either. Maybe Fire Nation men didn't grow hair down there. Water Tribe definitely did and Katara remembered when she met Suki who had been the one to teach her a way to remove the hair down there.

Cheeks flushed, she entered Zuko's bedroom and stripped down to just her lower bindings. If she just saw him naked, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she slept without her breast bindings. Her Gran-Gran had instructed her that it wasn't a good thing to always keep them bound down, and for the last few nights she had slept with them on. She dunked them in the water to soak with her dress, and crawled in between the silk sheets of Zuko's bed. It would certainly be a big surprise for him when he came back. And Katara began to feel the nerves in her stomach begin to churn, and an unfamiliar feeling tingled in a sensitive spot.

Zuko dried off quickly and put a random pair of shorts he found earlier on. They were a little tight but he figured they were his when he was fourteen. He tiptoed down the hall back to his room and dropped his clothes off at the door. He'd wash them in the morning, and there was no sense bringing his dirty garments into the room he was about to sleep in. The door slid open and he ushered himself silently inside. The room was dark, though there was a lit lantern on one of the nightstands. With the small illumination it radiated off he could see Katara's form under the dark red sheets. Her blue eyes greeted him and he was surprised to see she was still awake.

He was even further surprised when she sat up, and had nothing on to conceal her perfectly round, succulent breasts and a face that just begged him to try and touch her, if he dared.


	7. Chapter 6 Part 2

Katara moaned loudly as Zuko bit into her tender neck. He lay between her legs, their bare chests rubbing up against each other. Katara dragged her nails down the length of his back as he sank his teeth into her again. He sucked hard bruising her but then licked the spot and dragged his tongue across her throat to the other side. He was growing steadily hard and was rubbing against her inner thigh. She was breathing his name softly in his ear, and it turned him on even more.

"Zu-ko." He brought his lips back to her and captured them in a fiery kiss. Steam seemed to erupt from the contact. Their tongues met each other and wrestled for dominance. His hands raked her exposed sides and he felt little bumps rise under his fingertips. She purred delicately in his ear once more and he found himself moving from her sides to her plump breasts. His right hand cupped her left breast, and she stifled beneath him. Ignoring her sudden hesitance he squeezed roughly, pinching her nipple between his fingers.

He dipped his head back to the crevice of her neck and suckled it violently pulling the skin between his teeth. His slender fingers twisted her nipple and she screamed quietly into his hair. It was then that her hips lifted and pressed against his manhood. Zuko pulled back from her neck and gazed into her flawless face. Her eyes were pinched shut and Zuko could only assume that her little hump was involuntary and purely out of reaction. But oh how he wished he could illicit that response from her again. She was hot down there and a little wet.

Zuko's mouth covered her right nipple and her high pitched yelp pierced through the night. Again she arched against him, pressing her breast against his face and her hips against his hips. "OH! Zuko!" Both of her breasts were being treated to his ministrations and their lower halves stopped bumping sporadically but rather had started a rhythm. Her hand wove into his black hair and tugged gently. He detached himself from her breast and stared into her blue eyes. Her nipple was rosy pink and erected, much like he was.

"Katara…" Her name escaped his lips as their clothed parts rubbed against each other. He was fully hard and could feel her wetness seeping through her bindings.

"Zuko…" She whimpered back to him lifting her hips and grinding against his covered length. Her face was blushed with arousal and her brows pinched together in slight confusion. He slowly thrust against her shielded core and she shuddered at the contact. "What…" She could barely speak but Zuko assumed she wanted to know how he was making her feel this way. She didn't understand these feelings. Again, he rubbed against her and trembled himself when she pressed back.

His lips met hers again in a closed kiss, their eyes never closing but watching each other. He rubbed against her harder, and didn't just leave it at one but found a rhythm again. Taking his hands he spread her legs farther apart. His hardened head pressed against her core, not just rubbing on the outside but even tingling the inside of her. It wasn't entirely stimulating to him, but it felt good and he knew it was pleasing Katara.

Her screams escalated with every thrust he rubbed against her, until finally she collapsed after emitting an earsplitting shriek. He also came after realizing that the scream she yelled was actually his name. Zuko rolled off her and lay panting beside her. Katara gathered the sheets and surrounded herself in them, shielding her breasts and entire _body_ from his view.

"I'm sorry Katara." It was all he could say. It was the first thing that came to his mind to say to her.

"It's- -It's okay Zuko. I should be sorry. It's my fault, I didn't wear my bindings. I asked you to kiss me, and to- -." She didn't even finish her statement before she cuddled up next to him. Her actions were completely opposed to what she was saying. It was confusing to the Prince.

"Katara…"

"Zuko, can we just pretend that everything is going to be okay?"

"What do you mean?" He brushed the curly brown locks off her sweaty shoulders.

"I can't try to pretend that the last couple of days haven't meant anything to me. You were there for me when I needed someone most. And I'm not exactly sure how we've gotten to _this_ point, but I don't want to regret it or think it's an act of desperation because we may die in a few days…"

"Hey!" Zuko held her and sat her up so she could look at him eye to eye. "This was not because of any of those things. Katara, I wanted- - no I _want_ to be here for you, and it does my heart good to know that I am. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I want to set things right." He glanced down briefly at the red sheets before catching her gaze once more. "I want to set things right with _you_ most of all, Katara. You mean a lot to me, I haven't cared about a person like this in a very long time." She cut him off with a closed mouth kiss.

"That's all I needed to hear Zuko. I care about you a lot too. And after we kick your sister and father's ass, and you become the Fire Lord, I'd still like to stay with you."

"I'd like you to do that." She smiled and he returned it. "Let's go to sleep. We have training and planning to do in the morning."

"I know." She rested her head on his shoulder and inhaled his fiery scent. "I shouldn't have any problem sleeping tonight." And before he could even count to five, she was asleep in his arms.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I have to level with you guys, I need more reviews! Seriously, I can't stress enough that the more I get the more inspired I am to write the next chapter. And what ends up happening is my mind drifts to other possible stories I'd like to write or explore. BUT! This needs to be finished first, obviously.**

**Just please, let me know how you guys feel about the story. Be as honest as possible whether it's good or bad! Thanks! Enjoy Chapter 7! =)**

"You're WEAK!" The fire blast singed the bottom of Katara's dress. She ran behind a pillar as another blast hit the stone she took refuge from. "Come out and face me!" Her enemy's shouts shook her to the very core. There wasn't much water here, and Katara knew that if she peeped around the column she'd be screwed. The only water she had was the fresh water in her pouch, but it wasn't enough. Unless she really made it count. Drawing the water from the pouch, she formed an ice dagger.

After the last blast shook the pillar, she somersaulted in between the next post and chucked the dagger. To her dismay, her enemy's quickness was faster than she anticipated and her dagger was easily dodged. Another blast of fire surged towards her face, and Katara held her hands up defensively in front of her. At any second she waited for her forearms to be burned by the flames, but it never came. Cracking one eye open her vision was obscured by steam making it nearly impossible to see her enemy.

Her mind was also clouded by confusion. She wondered how the fire had evaporated when she had no water left. It was possible she could have abstracted the water from the air, but that usually required more concentration on her part. But if now it was happening reflexively her confidence was boosted tenfold. She didn't have to worry as much that she'd run out of water. After all, it was all around her. She stepped boldly through the steam and locked eyes with her opponent.

"How foolish you are peasant to attempt to face me without water."

"If you continue to fight me and don't give up now while I'm giving you the chance, you're the fool."

"Let's hope your bending is as quick as your mouth," and another flame of fire burst forth towards her. Katara sidestepped the attack and whipped her arms above her head. Five identical ice daggers formed and flew at her rival who was able to back flip out of the way. Barely. Katara smiled and charged frontward. Her enemy was stunned when suddenly Katara wasn't running but slipping on ice, almost surfing on her feet. She was too fast and the fire blasts kept missing her, until she ended up right behind her enemy and grappled from behind.

Katara flung her body onto her adversary and didn't let go. Until the temperature of the body heated up too much and began to burn her. She instinctively let go and fell to the stone ground. Her foe spun around and grabbed her by the neck with one hand, the other raising to deliver the finishing shot.

"You're dead. While the bending was commendable, Azula can't be taken down through sheer force, especially on the night of the comet." The hand around her throat now grabbed Katara's hand and helped her to her feet. "It seems you're learning to master your element even better though. Which I can't say is ever a bad thing."

"Thanks Zuko." Katara wiped a bit of sweat from her brow and then quickly transformed it into an ice dagger, holding it to his throat. "And you shouldn't drop your guard so easily." The corner of his mouth quirked up into a half smile.

"Lesson learned peasant."

"Quit it with that peasant stuff." She removed the dagger from his neck and let it fall to the ground. "I'm a Master Waterbender and should be treated as such."

"All right, then let's figure out what we're doing. The comet is in two days. Tomorrow we have to leave if we want to get the palace on time."

"You mentioned to Sokka something about a boat rental. Is that still possible?"

"It is, but there's also a possibility that our old boat is here."

"There's a boat here? Why didn't you mention that sooner? Where is it?"

"We've only been here for a day and needed to train. If you like we can go see if it's here now."

"YES! Let's go." She grabbed his hand and began dragging him out of the courtyard, until she realized she didn't know where she was going. He laughed at this.

"It's _this_ way." He pulled her in the opposite direction to a staircase leading under the terrace. The house was near a beach and had its own private dock. Zuko led Katara to it, and was disgruntled to see there was no boat. "Damn it! Maybe it was stolen, or…I don't even know what. All right, tomorrow we have to go into town, in disguise, and get a boat. Whether we rent it, or steal it."

"Steal it?"

"Oh, _now_ you're against stealing?" He was met with an elbow shot to his ribs. "I'm teasing!"

"I know. And no, I don't have a problem with stealing." She headed back towards the wooden stairs. "Should we train some more?"

"Yeah, let's go. Rematch."

The pair of benders lay exhausted on the courtyard too tired to crawl to a comfy chair or bath tub. They had been fighting all afternoon, each beating the other one every other fight. Zuko was impressed with Katara's bending. It seemed to him she was getting more powerful the longer she fought with him. The fact that she was now pulling water out of the air with ease was a good sign. Azula never bothered to study waterbenders and so she probably had no idea that waterbenders were even capable of such a thing.

His uncle had taught him several things about the different benders, and even his uncle never mentioned such a thing as pulling water from plants and thin air. Zuko eyed Katara's laying form carefully her chest heaving up and down. He remembered her doing a technique on the captain of the Southern Raiders. She only mentioned it to him once afterwards just telling him that it was a technique her new master taught her.

"Katara?"

"Hmmm?"

"What was that technique you did last week, to the Southern Raiders captain?" She sighed and turned her head away. "Please tell me." She paused for several moments before exhaling sharply.

"It's called Bloodbending, only on the full moon can a waterbender bend the blood of her opponents. It's like reaching inside the person and controlling them. I hate it, but- -…"

"But what?"

"It's a powerful move that I want to harness. I want to use it." She stared up at the dusky sky, clouds moving in overhead. A loud thunderclap sounded in the distance, and light droplets of rain fell down upon them. The drizzle was cool and it felt refreshing to the overheated benders. Katara innocently bent the drops of water, forming them together and separating them once more. Zuko brought his body temperature as hot as he could stand until a faint steam emitted from him. Katara noticed it and snickered, bending the water droplets on him, soaking his damp hair. They laid there for quite some time, just letting the rain beat down on them, before one of them spoke.

"You'll learn how to master it Katara. You can do anything." His words were reassuring to her and she smiled to herself.

"And you'll learn more and surpass Azula in two days. You can do anything too." Zuko was at that moment the happiest he'd been since his banishment. It came first only to the moment his uncle taught him the ways of the other Nations and how to redirect lightning. He knew that Katara's words were true and he would make lightning in his own time, and defeat his sister. If Katara could bloodbend, he could shoot a lightning bolt.

The rain steadily poured down until Katara and Zuko found themselves in the midst of a thunderstorm. Laughing they ran under the canvas of the beach house dripping head to toe with the cool Fire Nation rain. Katara pushed back the soaked strands off her face and looked at Zuko's own locks down past his eyes. He attempted to blow them upward but they were heavier wet. She reached up and pushed his bangs back off his pale forehead. Zuko smiled warmly at her and pulled her close for a wet but comforting hug. Getting up on her tip toes she pulled back only to kiss him delicately on his lips.

It was nothing more than the sweetest kiss Zuko had ever experienced and ironically it was in the rain.

Katara stared at herself in disbelief. She didn't believe what was happening to her right before her very own eyes. It was a situation she never thought she'd be in, in her entire life. And how dare Zuko laugh at her at such a sensitive time? Here she gazed at her own reflection in this thing called a "mirror" and could not even recognize herself. And who would recognize themselves when they were wearing what she was?

Zuko dressed her in Azula's old clothes, but they were tight.

Her hips barely fit in the pants Zuko gave her and her breasts were popping out of the gold embroidered top. Thankfully he had given her an oversized jacket that went down to her knees. It was still drizzling from the day before and they had to walk disguised to the closest town for a boat. Her water tribe wardrobe would have given them away instantly. Zuko himself had to wear a cloak and a mask to hide his scar. But he didn't look nearly as much of a fool as Katara did.

"Ready to go?" Zuko finished lacing the boots he decided to wear and stepped into the mirror's frame next to Katara. She nodded absentmindedly and he had to basically drag her away from her reflection.

The ground outside was muddy, and thankfully Zuko let Katara still wear her boots. She would never have fit into Azula's. They held each other's hands during the five mile walk into town but hardly spoke more than ten words to each other. They were too nervous to talk. The town they eventually entered was bustling full of vacationers whose last concerns were things like Sozin's comet and the one hundred year war finally coming to its end.

"Just let me do all the talking." Katara had to strain to hear Zuko's almost inaudible voice as they made their way to the boat rentals. She nodded and tried to avoid the other people's stares. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with any of the vacationers. They were already in aggravated moods due to the rain destroying their beach fun.

"What can I do you for on this miserable day?" An elder man's voice pulled Katara from staring at the ground to what was happening around her. They had reached the docks and an old man was tarping the wooden vessels so they didn't get wet.

"We'd like a boat for a day." Zuko's voice didn't sound like his own. He was trying to make it sound older, les like himself.

"Oh, I'm not too sure you two would want to go out on the waters today. They want more rain down here in Ember Island."

"We're going to an adjacent island for a day where there will be less rain. Please sir, we need to get there, my mother has fallen ill." The old man stood from his kneeled position and rubbed his scruffy graying beard.

"Emergency, huh?" Zuko nodded slowly. "In that case, I'll let you have this boat here." He indicated to the last boat that was covered by a black tarp. "This one's resilient, but any damage done to the boat will cost you."

"We understand, sir."

"And you said it was one day? Eh, that costs about twenty-five gold piece, but I will also take one hundred copper pieces."

"I can pay in gold." Zuko pulled a bag of coins out of his jacket pocket, and the old man's eyebrow rose. He accepted it graciously and untied the tarp. Zuko helped Katara inside the boat and helped the man push it out into the water.

"It's one of my best boats, be careful on them waters kids!" Katara froze when he said 'kids.' How did he know? Although at his age maybe everyone was a kid. Zuko jumped into the rocky boat and grabbed each oar in his hand. He thanked Agni that he had the strength to row, although there was no way he'd be able to the entire way. It would take several hours at this pace, but they would make it by nightfall.

Katara was tapped awake only to be surrounded by complete darkness. Zuko stood above her shaking her gently. He whispered to her to wake up and she groggily opened her eyes fully. She was no longer laying on the wooden boat, but found herself on the sand once again. Had it all been a dream? Was she still on that beach with just Zuko and the rest of the gAang not too far away from them? The air was warmer and a drip of sweat cascaded down her cheek. She sat up and looked around her surroundings.

It appeared they were on the outside of a high rock cliff, which she knew must have been the volcano. She was in the heart of the Fire Nation with Zuko, and far away from Sokka, Aang, Suki and Toph. After tonight, she and Zuko would be facing Azula as the comet soared overhead. Her eyes were still droopy and Zuko was now pulling her to her feet.

"We have to go into town. I can get us a small room somewhere, but we have to go in now or it'll be too late tomorrow. I can guarantee that the city's gates will be shut tomorrow during the comet." She staggered to her feet and followed him around the volcano until a shining gold gate greeted her. Several Fire Nation soldiers stood at the gate and Katara tightened her grip on Zuko's arm. "Calm down, it's taken care of." She tried to calm, but her fingers began to shake a little.

"Passes!" The guard didn't ask it, he commanded it. Zuko reached inside his pocket and handed over two pieces of paper. The guard inspected them, stared at Zuko and then at Katara before handing them back. "All right, there's a curfew tomorrow just to let you know. Everyone must be inside two hours before the comet. Anyone found on the street will be arrested and taken to the Royal Prison. Understood?" Zuko nodded and jabbed Katara who nodded meekly as well.

"Enjoy your stay in the Fire Nation, Prince Zuko."

**Author's {2****nd****} Note: I'm evil aren't I? Please leave reviews! Please! **

**I wrote all of this in one sitting, and am a little fried. {It's 2 am}. I'd like it if I could get all the way up to 75 reviews before I post chapter 8. That's 75 reviews **_**total**_** which means I really only need 20 new ones! That's not asking for much is it? Thanks!**

**Hope you're all enjoying the story!**

**VessaBlackheart**


	9. Chapter 8

The soldier slowly removed his helmet while Katara formed an ice dagger under the folds of her jacket. Zuko braced himself ready to attack with his bending if need be. His primary focus was Katara. She had never fought a Fire Nation soldier before, and would most likely be overpowered despite her master bending. There were more guards than there were them.

Once his helmet was off, Zuko's eye brow rose in clear confusion. He had no idea who this man was. He was young, not too much older than Zuko and did not look Fire Nation. His dark brown hair was cut short like a warriors' was supposed to be and had a thin scar on his left cheek. The other soldiers behind seemed to shift almost uncomfortably, another act that had Zuko's mind jumbled.

"You don't know me, but I've heard a lot about you." Without the helmet muffling his voice, he had a familiar sounding voice, but Zuko still couldn't place him. He grabbed Katara's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as he was sure she was getting ready to attack. But for some reason, Zuko didn't think that was necessary, not against these men.

"You're right, I do not know you. But if you would be so gracious to enlighten me, I'd be obliged." Zuko did his best to keep his voice under control and not sound nervous. Because to be honest he was quite terrified at whom this was and that they knew who he was.

"My name is Sen Tzu." Zuko stared dumbly at him. He felt like he'd heard the name before, but couldn't remember where or its significance. Just as Zuko was about to open his mouth to speak, the soldier named Sen Tzu spoke once more. "You met my younger brother, Lee." Now Zuko knew who _that_ was.

"You're Lee's older brother? You're alive!" Zuko did not even know what to say. The last he heard this man's platoon had been captured and might have been made into sacrificial lambs for the Fire Nation's frontline. "How is Lee doing?" Sen Tzu's face fell at this, and Zuko felt nerves boil up in his stomach. Had the young boy been killed? Even though he had rejected Zuko after finding out he was the exiled Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko still cared about the boy and his families' well being.

"Lee is not well. He and my parents are here in the Fire Nation."

"Here? Why?"

"The Fire Nation soldiers who defeated my squad thought it would be _fun_, to take us back to our village and bribe our families. They would become slaves to noblemen in the Fire Nation and we would not get sent to the frontier. If they refused the village would be burned and my friends and I would become sitting ducks in the war."

"Naturally the families chose slavery."

"Yes, Fire Lord Ozai says that after he takes over the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe the surviving people will become slaves. Benders will be executed." Katara's fist clenched at this and she felt the ice dagger cut her hand, but it healed almost instantly. She imagined her Gran-Gran, with a leash around her neck being whipped and ordered around by an ungrateful Fire Nation nobleman. "My family is lucky enough to get a decent nobleman family. They even have a little boy that plays with Lee. I don't see them much, but because my old squad and I are positioned here at the entrance they visit me sometimes."

"That's good. So you're stationed here instead of being in the middle of the war?"

"Yes. I don't honestly think I'd be able to fight for the Fire Nation anyway and cut down any Earth Kingdom men. Why are you here though Zuko? Shouldn't you be far away from this place?"

"I joined the Avatar to teach him firebending. This is his waterbending teacher Katara. She and I are here to defeat my sister Azula while the Avatar defeats the Fire Lord. But we are striking tomorrow and must retire tonight inside the Royal Center."

"Of course, tomorrow the gates will be closed." Zuko nodded. "Then I will not keep you any further, and let you rest up before your fight. The best I can do now is bid you success and pray to the Gods that you and Miss Katara win, and the Avatar as well." The soldiers behind him nodded in agreement before opening the gates. "Be safe inside the city and take care."

As Zuko and Katara made their way inside the city, greeted by white buildings with red roofs, Zuko's heart sank knowing the future of the little boy Lee he had met when he traveled alone. He could only hope that after tomorrow, he would be able to change everything.

"I need a room please." Zuko placed the gold coins on the table, but the old woman still sneered at the pair of teenagers that entered her fine hotel.

"For the _both _of you?" Zuko briefly glanced at Katara who immediately blushed.

"Yes, please." She hastily grabbed a gold key in exchange for the gold coins on the counter.

"Just for tonight?"

"That's all we need." Zuko took the key and quickly ushered Katara to their room. The more he spoke to people or remained out in public the more of a chance there was for them to be recognized. Sen Tzu already recognized him, and the two had never met before. When they reached the room, Zuko gazed at his appearance and soon found out that his mask wasn't entirely covering his scar. Had they spent any more time out in public he would have been identified by the wrong person.

Katara removed her oversized coat methodically and folded it away. She and Zuko had just by luck infiltrated the inner circle of the Fire Nation. She was sure that even if it hadn't been an ally at the gate, Zuko would have gotten them inside. She didn't know who this "Sen Tzu" or "Lee" was, but Zuko seemed to know them, at least Lee. She was saddened to know that a possible friend of Zuko's was now being forced to be a slave for Fire Nation royals.

"Who is Lee?" Katara couldn't bite her tongue anymore. She had to know who it was.

"Lee was a boy I met while I traveled alone. I met him only two days before we all fought Azula and she struck down my uncle. His family and the entire village were being persecuted by not only Fire Nation, but Earth Kingdom as well."

"Earth Kingdom?"

"They were taking advantage of their position and were bossing around the townspeople. I fought them and tried to save the town."

"You did?" This surprised Katara considering this was while Zuko was the "bad guy." She couldn't really see him saving a town back then. But she also didn't see why he would be lying about that right now.

"Yeah, I did. But eventually I had to use my firebending and the townspeople, including Lee, kicked me out. Apparently they haven't forgotten me though, if Sen Tzu heard about me."

"Well, you're pretty unforgettable." Katara meant this as both truth and slight teasing. She remembered when Azula first gave chase to their group and Katara thought it was Zuko. Even though he had disappeared from their lives for quite some time, she never forgot him.

"So are you." Katara blushed like mad, and turned away from him. She thought maybe he would have taken a jab back at her, not compliment her and flirt. He turned her around to face him. "Don't look away. You should know that I always thought of you back when I was chasing Aang. I even had a crazy idea that I could capture you instead and lure him out. I kind of did that when I grabbed you and Sokka with Jun, but it wasn't to the degree of what I had imagined."

"Oh? What were you imagining?" Now it was Zuko's turn to blush, and he tried to turn, but Katara grabbed his tight sleeve. "Oh, now who's blushing? Come on, you can tell me!"

"It's pretty bad."

"I won't hold it against you."

"Promise?" Katara nodded and Zuko exhaled sharply. He couldn't believe he was about to tell her this. "I would have captured you, held you on my boat and if you didn't tell me where Aang was, I'd try to _entice_ it out of you."

"And how would you have _enticed _me?"

"Like this." And he dipped his head into her neck to place a tender kiss there. Katara's heart sped up not only because of what he was doing, but at the knowledge of knowing this is what he would have done to her months ago.

"Oh yeah? What else would you have done, had I not told you where the Avatar was?"

"I probably would have tried this." Zuko brought his hand up to cup her round pert breast. Katara inhaled harshly at the contact. He squeezed soothingly and she stifled a moan. Zuko heard her restraining herself and smiled inward.

"And if I _still_ didn't know where the Avatar was?" Zuko smiled broadly into her neck, as his other hand went to tenderly touch her womanhood. Katara gasped loudly in his ear, and clutched his shoulders. This was only the second time something had touched her down there and the first time wasn't so much deliberate but emotional and apprehensive.

"And…" Her voice was strained and full of lust. It was lower than usual and it turned Zuko on even more. Zuko rubbed her softly and she almost collapsed in his arms. Through the tight thin fabric he could feel her steadily growing wetter. He latched onto her neck with his mouth once again sucking on her sweet skin and teasing it between his teeth.

"Oh, Zuko…" It was only a mere whisper, but Zuko heard it and backed her up until the back of her knees hit the bed. She fell back but Zuko was right there with her never removing his mouth, or hands, from their current positions. He suckled her neck and shoulders on her, planting sweet and affectionate kisses on her soft skin. But he was mostly focused on his hands. The one softly kneaded her breast pinching the nipple under the fabric, while the other meticulously rubbed her womanhood. She bucked upwards into his hand and he applied more pressure, rubbing her faster.

"Katara." He breathed as he licked the shell of her ear. Her panting grew heavier the longer he stroked her faster and harder. The thin fabric separating them was continuously growing wetter and wetter as Katara's moans escalated. She grabbed his thick black hair and pulled hard, ripping his face from her neck. He stared into her blue eyes before she smashed her lips against his. The kiss was rough yet passionate and sent Zuko's mind reeling to the point of not even thinking. All he could concentrate on was making Katara as pleasured as possible. She continued to buck wildly against the hand that fondled her most private area. As his tongue slipped past her lips she nearly cried out in delight.

Zuko broke the kiss only to lick his way down to her breasts. He ripped away the clothes she wore and freed her oppressed, round breasts. Using his tongue he licked her hard, stiff nipple and used his hand to pinch the other. Her hands dug into the back of his neck sending chills up his spine, his scalp set ablaze. He took her nipple roughly in his mouth, pulling and sucking hard on it.

"Zuko!" Her cries echoed throughout the hotel room. His hand rubbed faster as she thrust upwards into it. His fingers cramped slightly but he was too worried about letting her reach an orgasm. She just _had_ to. There wasn't anything Zuko wanted more in that moment than to hear Katara scream his name and reach ultimate satisfaction.

Her panting grew louder, and her body began to jerk uncontrollably. Katara felt this dark need swell in the pit of her stomach. No, not stomach; lower than that. It bubbled up and made her entire body tremble with bliss, until she couldn't take it anymore. With the last bit of her strength she pulled Zuko away from her breasts to give one last heated kiss before breaking it to scream out.

"OH ZUKO!" Her body shook as she came and Zuko dipped his head once again into her neck smiling widely. After a few moments she finally simmered down and softly kissed his cheek. He stroked her softly, gradually coming to a halt before wiping her damp hair off her forehead and placing a kiss there.

"You all right?" She licked her lips and nodded to him. Her eyes began to flutter and soon her weary eyelids began to droop.

"Zuko…" Her voice was barely a whisper, and he knew she was on the verge of passing out.

"Yes?"

"Zuko I…" He listened intently and watched her glazed blue eyes flicker back and forth for a moment.

"I…I'm tired. Good night." Zuko was getting the feeling that she was about to say something else, what that was he wasn't sure, but it was gut instinct. However, he looked her over and found himself incredibly attracted to her physically, but also mentally and emotionally. He was there for her when she needed him, and he knew that tomorrow she would be there for him when he needed her. Peering out the window he was greeted by the bright moon that wasn't quite yet full. Like Katara, he should slip into slumber as well and get some rest before his fight with Azula. It wasn't hard to fall asleep once he cuddled next to his waterbender.

Zuko rose with the sun, like he always did, but it didn't warm him like usual. Today he felt nothing but nerves rise up in his stomach. Today he would face Azula, with Katara by his side {the only redeeming thing about today}, and hopefully Aang would defeat the Fire Lord. Zuko could only pray to the Gods that Aang would be able to do it. It had been a few days since they last saw Aang, and he didn't know much about firebending. Another fact that scared Zuko to his very core.

He hadn't taught Aang all he knew about firebending because of his and Katara's eviction from the group. He didn't even get a chance to show Aang how to redirect lightning, a factor that could end up being life-changing. Panic flowed through him, and he eventually found himself climbing out of bed to stand at the window, looking through the paned glass down a the streets below. His body began to shake with a feeling he always tried to harbor from the population: fear.

Cool hands wrapped around his bare torso and he found himself in the embrace of a now awakened Katara. She held him close to her and he felt all of his emotions boiling forth, but refused to cry or yell in anger. They locked gazes, and all she did was smile at him. At the sight of her radiant face it was like a calm overtook him. The feelings of dread seemed to escape his body and were replaced with a different feeling. One that was indescribable.

"It will be okay Zuko. I know how you're feeling and you will definitely take her down." It was great to Zuko that she could remain her composure while speaking to him about the upcoming fight with his sister. He was a nervous wreck, and even if she was on the inside, she wasn't letting it show and the effect was calming Zuko down.

"Thank you Katara." He kissed her forehead and held her close. Who knew if it would be the last time he'd be able to do so. And so he had to drink it in now, and just hope that the two of them would be able to defeat his sister for good.

"Not to break the moment, but how are we sneaking into the palace?" Zuko smiled and disentangled himself from his girl.

"Don't worry about that. There a bunch of secret tunnels leading into the palace that only I knew about. Well, myself and my cousin Lu Ten."

"How did something like that get unnoticed by the guards? And for so long?"

"My mother and Uncle kept them occupied. And after a while Lu Ten figured out how we could disguise them so they'd never be noticed."

"That's amazing! But I have to ask, was Lu Ten your Uncle Iroh's son?"

"Yes, he was, and he was my best childhood friend. My mother would make me play with Azula and her friends, Ty Lee and Mai, but like I said she kind of forced me to. After a while, my I hardly saw Lu Ten once he turned thirteen and then he went off into war not too long after and was killed in battle. When we found out, my mother and I were upset. My father and sister saw it as a way to take control of the throne."

"That's terrible. I'm so sorry Zuko."

"It's okay. Once my father and sister are taken care of my uncle and I can fix this nation just like he and Lu Ten would have." Katara gazed up into Zuko's hopeful golden eyes.

"You really love your uncle…"

"I do. And other than you, I wouldn't want anyone else by my side if we win and I become crowned Fire Lord." It was then that Katara remembered something she had always wanted to ask Zuko.

"I have a question." Zuko nodded for her to Katara, and she actually felt her cheeks heat up. "When you marry, will she be called the Fire Queen or Fire Lady?"

"Why would you want to know that?" He laughed.

"I'm just curious, that's all. There's a lot I don't know about Fire Nation culture."

"Well, she would be called the Fire Lady. And hopefully I can teach you a little Fire Nation history in the future, as long as you tell me about the Water Tribe." He held out his hand to which she grasped it firmly.

"Deal."

The underground tunnel was dark, and Zuko's hand was engulfed in flames just to provide a flicker of light to see. He held onto her hand leading her through the dirt passageway that would lead them to the castle. To be exact, this certain pathway would lead them to the courtyard under a large oversized planter. There was a trap door in the planter that would allow travelers to crawl up and out of it. Zuko wasn't kidding when he said his late cousin Lu Ten disguised the paths.

They were almost there, and the comet was almost upon them. Katara wasn't sure how Aang, Sokka, Suki and Toph were holding up but she prayed to Yue and Tui to keep them safe. After taking care of Azula, the plan was for Zuko and Katara to run and provide backup to the gAang. Even if they weren't wanted, it didn't change the fact that they were the only ones there to cover the Avatar's back.

The only amusing thought, and it was on the dark side, that Katara could think of was how happy Aang would be she didn't stop waterbending. In fact, over the couple of days her bending had become more lethal. As easily as Hama could Katara could draw water from the air around her which came in handy in the Fire Nation. There wasn't much water around, and as a waterbender it was important she improvise and stay quick on her feet.

The same went for Zuko. Katara knew that all he wanted to be able to do was create lightning. And if he could it would definitely be an advantage to have on their side. But Katara didn't pressure him to practice. In fact, trying to learn how to bend lightning sounded quite dangerous to her. At least with water she could control it at all times. Lightning, she was told by Zuko, was unpredictable and the last few times he tried his attempts kept blowing up in his face.

Not subtle, or safe.

"We're here. Are you ready for this?" Zuko's whisper broke Katara's thoughts, and as she tightened her fist around her water pouch she nodded distractedly. Zuko cupped her face. "Katara, stay with me. Are you ready for this?" He held her firmly and spoke with a stern voice. It was of the most importance that both of them remained focused one hundred percent. She met his stare and nodded more confidently. He leaned in to give her a chaste, yet loving kiss to which she fully reciprocated.

"Let's do this." Her voice was deadly and he hadn't heard her speak with such conviction since she met her mother's killer. He nodded and gave her hand a squeeze before they climbed out of the secret passage and into the courtyard.

Azula was kneeling with the Fire sages all around her about to crown her the Fire Lord when Zuko cleared his throat. She looked up, annoyed, and smirked evilly at the pair of them.

"So you _did_ have the guts to show up _brother_." She stood and waved the sages away.

"I'm here to fight you Azula one last time. Agni Kai." Her evil laughter cut through the red lit sky.

"You _dare_ to challenge me Zuzu? Well, that's fine with me! It'll be your mistake to learn!" Her dastardly golden eyes shifted to the girl in blue. "Oh and you brought the water peasant with you, how sweet. When I'm through with you I think I will make her father's concubine. Maybe he'll like a girl with…more meat on her bones." Zuko clenched his fist but held it tight at his side. "Be prepared to go down _brother_."

"_You're_ the one that's going down!" Katara stepped next to Zuko and glared defiantly at the Fire Nation princess.

"We'll see about that _peasant_." Azula held her hands in front of her, ready to start the battle between brother and sister. Zuko cast a sideways glance at Katara before stepping forward. His sister and he traditionally bowed and Azula removed her long cloak.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way _brother_."

"No you're not."

**Author's Notes: Everybody's least two favorite words to see after a minor cliff hanger. I wanted a mixture of pain and pleasure in this one, and in case you guys don't remember Lee, go back and watch Zuko Alone. You'll know exactly who I'm talking about.**

**I also liked the idea of building a friendship between Zuko and Lu Ten even though one was never really detailed on the show. But I could really see the two of them being friends and hanging out while Ursa and Iroh drank tea. **

**As always, leave reviews. I won't ask for a certain amount this time, since I got way more that 75 for the last chapter. I hope this one keeps you guys reading because the next chapter is the Agni Kai. But if you guys think it'll go down the way it did in the show, well, if you haven't learned by now, that's just not happening. =)**

**Keep reading, keep reviewing and I'm thinking of making a "What If…" series. This would be part of it of course. But basically, it would be moment or even plot points that had they been different the outcome could have been in favor of Zutara and downright awesome. One of the ideas I have involves Lu Ten, while the other includes Ursa and Kya. Some of those ideas have been hinted at in this story slightly, and kudos to you if you picked up on them! I will reveal some next chapter!**

**Review! But more importantly, read and like the story as much as I do! **

**Vessa Blackheart**


	10. Chapter 9

Blue and orange flames danced in the Palace courtyard amidst a red and black sky. Primal screams of hatred and anger broke through the skies as brother and sister battled for the crown, for freedom, for oppression, for love, for power. Laughter suddenly broke out, crackling through the air and shaking those around to their cores. The flames clashed against each other lighting up the palace. Bursts of blue flames exploded sporadically, while orange flames blasted methodically at the opponent.

Katara could see that Azula was slowly losing her mind while Zuko was fully under control and choosing his attacks carefully. Azula kicked blue flames rapidly at her brother, while Zuko reared back and unleashed a dual flame that spiraled at his sister before becoming one and launching at her. She whipped her head around to see the damage his fire was doing. She continued to cackle mischievously and set a stream of blue flames at her sibling. Zuko fired back with his own, the two jets of fire shooting past each other.

"What? No lightning today? Afraid I'll redirect it?" Zuko readied himself to redirect the lightning he knew his sister was ready to strike.

"Oh you want lightning? I'll _show_ you lightning!" She began to move her arms precisely in a fluid motion, the blue lightning sizzling around her. Zuko breathed deep readying himself for the act he had once done against his father. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at her older brother, the corner of her lips curling up into a sneer. But then, her yellow eyes fierce like a cat shifted to Katara standing in the background. She shot the blue lightning at Katara, Zuko's mind reeling at how his sister would do this. Without thinking he ran trying to intercept the bolt.

"Nooooooooooooo!" In that moment Zuko knew he truly loved Katara. For only someone he loved would he jump in front of a lightning bolt, and accompany along on a mission that meant a lot. The pain stung every part of his body as he was knocked back several feet, rolling and tumbling across the courtyard floor. Katara's eyes were wide in shock and horror.

"Zuko!" She ran forth but Azula sent another flame of blue fire blocking her path. Azula laughed maniacally as her brother lay on the ground struggling to even stay alive while she gave chase to the waterbender. Katara ran around a pillar as Azula sent jet after jet of firepower. There wasn't much water, but Katara knew when she'd get the chance she would be able to strike and deliver a cruel blow. Somersaulting to the next pillar she threw an ice dagger but didn't see Azula standing there. Turning back around, suddenly, Azula stood in front of Katara and delivered a punch to her face.

Katara went rolling into the middle of the courtyard while Azula prowled around the pillars like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey. She continued to laugh and to Katara that was probably the worst part of it all. It was like Azula was mocking both Katara and Zuko. Azula sent another flash of lightning at Katara who jumped out of the way. Until she could think of a way to save Zuko and attack Azula soon she just had to keep evading Azula's attacks.

"You can't hide forever _Katara!"_ Zuko's ears perked up when he heard Azula screech Katara's name. He wasn't able to see much and to know that Katara wasn't down lifted his spirits. He rolled over on his stomach to see Katara running behind the pillars, explosions of blue fire right on her heels. He held his arm out reaching for her, struggling to get to her but his chest hurt too much.

Katara hid behind another pillar, wondering how she was to save Zuko who laid hurt in the courtyard. She knew she couldn't remain hidden for long and at this point there was nothing she wanted more than to kick Azula's ass. Stepping out from behind the pillar her enemy stared her down a large grin on her face.

"You don't even have any water! You're a fool, you peasant."

"Surrender now or you're the fool, you psychotic _bitch_!" That felt good to say. Azula charged Katara, her hands engulfed in bright blue flames. Katara held her arms in a defensive stance and had to endure the mocking laughter of Azula. She punched several times sending the blue flames at the waterbender who miraculously doused each hit erupting the fire into steam. Azula's mouth dropped and Katara couldn't help but smirk now.

"What…How…" Azula growled in frustration.

"The thing about only caring about yourself and your own nation is that you wind up with your head up your own ass!" Katara pulled the water out of the air and sent multiple daggers at Azula who sent up a firewall, melting the oncoming attack. When the wall was taken down, Azula's eyes widened as she saw Katara charging. Quickly recovering her composure she held blue fire daggers in her hands and began striking. Katara dodged to the best of her capabilities but soon found herself sideswiped in the temple. Several black spots blinded her sight for a while and she saw Azula standing over her, laughing.

"I was going to keep you around for father, but you're such a pain in my ass that I think you're better off dead!" Katara felt all of her emotions boiling forth, anger, hate, frustration, strife, guilt, grief, and every other negative feeling she had in her at the moment.

It was then a voice spoke to her, and it sounded familiar. "Katara! Do not allow your hate to fill you. Find the love in your heart and you will win." Katara thought she was going insane, but the voice almost sounded like Yue. She laid on the marble floor, dazed and briefly unaware that Azula was standing over her ready to lay out the final, lethal blow.

"AZULA!" A male voice broke through the brief silence and Azula turned to see Zuko standing on the other side of the open space, clutching his chest but staring at his sister with deadly intentions.

"Haven't had enough yet Zuzu?" She kicked Katara in the temple swiftly before turning fully to face her brother. "Oh well, it's all right with me! After I finish you off I'll take care of your girlfriend."

"You won't touch her." His voice was low and fatal. For once in her life Azula was taken aback by her brother's defiance. She shook off those feelings and ran at her brother deranged. Zuko could barely stand but he began to move his arms about ready to redirect any lightning. His eyes opened wide when Azula suddenly froze in her tracks, a frightened look adorning her features. Katara was stretching one of her arms out seeming holding Azula in place. Zuko knew what she was doing: bloodbending. However there was no full moon.

"What's…going…on…"Azula's jaw was clenched tight and she ground her teeth together in anger. Katara's eyebrows furrowed as to her amazement she was holding Azula in place with the use of her bloodbending. However, her admiration at her own abilities went out the window when all of a sudden Zuko cried out. Panicking she looked at him only to see him being consumed in red lightning. Her mouth dropped open, and if Azula wasn't being held still she was sure her mouth would drop too. Zuko was conjuring lightning.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" He screamed out in pain and Azula smirked that he would be his own demise. Katara's shock wore off and soon she was panicked again.

"ZUKO!" Her voice seemed to permeate through his pain and he cracked his eyes open, half blinded by the red surrounding him. "Zuko! Let it go, just let go!" Zuko suddenly recognized his blunder and knew he couldn't control the lightning. He was only its pawn and could only bow to its whim. And that's when he saw his target; Azula. A bolt of his red lightning shot forth at his paralyzed sister who could not dodge or redirect his attack. She had no other choice than to just be struck down in the chest by her brother.

As the pain radiated through her body, sounds of her mother filled her once more as they had the night before. Her head cracked against the ground and she saw her mother standing above her.

"Oh, Azula, this could have turned out so differently."

"You wouldn't have wanted it to end any other way, admit it mother!" Blood spurted from her mouth as she spoke to the woman who gave birth to her. Katara looked around wildly but didn't see anyone but herself and Zuko.

"I love you Azula." Tears flowed freely from Azula's eyes as she welcomed the overwhelming weight of death on her shoulders. She laughed once more, blood spilling from the corners of her mouth.

"I hate you mother." Katara heard Azula mutter these words right before the life escaped her eyes. She wondered how Azula could say such a thing, but was distracted as Zuko collapsed to the ground.

"Zuko!" She ran around Azula's fallen form and rushed to his side. Rolling him over, she extracted pure water out of the air and looked over his injuries. The wound from the lightning was leaving a star-shaped scar on his pristine torso. The water swirled around and glowed a light blue as it was absorbed into his body. His face relaxed and she could feel that he would survive. Tears sprung from her eyes but for the first time in days they were tears of joy.

"Thank you Katara."

"I think I should be the one thanking you." She helped him sit up and his hand reached up to cup her face. Elated, she bent down and pressed her lips against his in an amorous kiss. "Zuko, I…I…" She looked at him and seemed nervous but Zuko smirked at her and gave her another kiss.

"I love you Katara." Her ears perked up and her eyes opened wide at his declaration. It had been the same one she'd been struggling with over the last day.

"I…I love you too Zuko. I _love_ you!" Their lips met again in a kiss and she squeezed him tight.

"Ah, still tender!" He pulled back wincing and she smiled apologetically. "It's all right. Come on." He slowly got to his feet with the aid of Katara and they stared together at his sister's lifeless body. She was lying on her back, one hand on her chest the other stretched out to her side as if she was reaching for something, or someone.

"I heard her say something right before she…" Katara trailed off and gazed up at Zuko.

"What did she say?"

"She said 'I hate you mother.'" Just repeating the phrase made Katara's heart burn and left a sick taste in her mouth. Never had she uttered those words before. Zuko surprisingly scoffed and shook his head, a slight smile adorning his lips.

"Azula always lies…" It was barely a whisper, but Katara heard it and then saw a lone tear escape his non-scarred eye. They didn't even get a moment to rest before the fire sages came rushing out into the courtyard, one of them holding a crown.

"Prince Zuko!" They sounded surprised that he was victorious. "Or, should we say 'Fire Lord Zuko!'" Zuko turned to face them, his face anything but overjoyed to hear them call him the Fire Lord.

"Where is my father?" His voice bellowed sternly at the sages who cowered in fear.

"The Phoenix King took the flying vessels and is headed for Ba Sing Se. They flew due east!" The sages pointed and Zuko ran leading Katara through the Palace, and once on the other side they could see the dozen metal flying blimps floating through the sky.

"Aang." Zuko heard Katara breathe the Avatar's name and he squinted to see the bald monk flying through the air. No doubt, he was in the middle of his fight with Ozai.

"Come on, we have to go." Zuko pulled her down a corridor into a large open room with many vehicles and modes of transportation. Zuko jumped into a large automobile with four huge wheels underneath. He pulled Katara up into the passenger seat and she stared at the interior with awe.

"What is this?" She touched the smooth leather seats and stared at all the gadgets and buttons.

"Its technical name is a 'Fiend-Fire Automobile.' My uncle Iroh calls it a 'Monster Truck.'" He pushed a button and the engine roared to life. "This thing can travel over any terrain, and we're going to need that to get to Aang and the others." He slammed his food against a pedal on the floor and the truck lurched to life and sped off towards the blimps.

It didn't take long for the truck to catch up to the slowly moving vessels and Katara could barely make out the form of Sokka, Suki and Toph penetrating the hangers. Soldiers followed them and Katara nearly cried out when she saw Suki lose her footing and fall from one blimp to the other below it, leaving Sokka and Toph to fight the others. Suki disappeared from view but Katara saw her brother pulling Toph along running away from the Fire Nation soldiers. The soldiers had them surrounded and were jabbing their spears threateningly at her brother. Katara stuck her head out the window and screamed "SOKKA!" Toph heard her and pulled on Sokka's sleeve. He too peered down and saw the large vehicle on the ground hundreds of feet below them.

However, his brief joy was cut short when a soldier stabbed him straight through the stomach, knocking him and Toph to a small plank below. Katara held her mouth and even Zuko now was watching in horror and disbelief. His new friend, one that had reminded him so much of his days with Lu Ten, was just stabbed by a long sword. Now, Sokka struggled not only with holding onto his life but holding onto Toph who was dangling from the plank prepared to fall to her death.

"I need to get up there!" Katara cried incredulously.

"I know I just don't know how!" Zuko yelled back at her over the loud engines of truck and flying machines. That was when a blimp was careened right into the other, and Sokka dropped Toph. She landed on the airship below and Suki held her tight seemingly coming out of no where. Sokka then fell off the plank to which Suki and Toph caught him. The blimp continued downward until finally it crashed on the ground.

"Go! GO!" Katara wasn't even in her seat anymore. Her nerves and panic had overtaken her and all she wanted was to heal her brother and save him. Zuko stepped on the pedal that sent the truck roaring through the dried up land. They screeched to a halt when they saw the three forms of their friends. Toph and Suki had tears in their eyes and Sokka held onto his bloody stomach sweat dripping down his face.

"Katara." A small drop of blood escaped his mouth and Katara once again pulled the water out of the air and it began to swirl and glow. She pulled his shirt up and had to choke back tears that threatened to spill from her eyes as she stared at his fatal wound. She just hoped she could be enough to save him. His body absorbed the water and the blood stopped flowing. She ripped the bottom of her blue dress and wrapped his torso with it. When she stood she realized how short her dress was now, as it only reached mid-thigh.

"Keep pressure on it, and he should be fine." Her voice was shaking, but she had a certain legitimacy behind her words. She wasn't just saying that to keep everyone happy. He would be okay, and it made Katara's heart leap in delight. So far they were all safe and had defeated who they had to. The blimps were all damaged and falling apart. Azula was dead, and the only people left were Aang and Ozai.

"Zuko, we have to find Aang and make sure he's all right."

"He's over there!" Suki pointed to large rock formations that were sprung out of the water a couple of hundred feet away. Sure enough when Katara looked up she could see Aang and Ozai dueling it out. Ozai was sending jets of fierce flame at Aang while he was surrounded in a pocket of circling air, deflecting the attacks.

"He can't hold out for much longer, my father hasn't even begun to use lightning yet." Zuko's voice was low so only Katara could hear. He didn't want to panic the rest of them. She nodded and bent down once more at her brother's side, kissing him on the cheek.

"I love you Sokka, Suki, Toph. We're going to go help Aang, stay here and be safe. Toph, provide a little shelter." Toph stomped her foot and the three of them were surrounded by walls of earth, safe and out of view. "Let's go Zuko." She grabbed his hand and the pair of them sprinted off towards the Avatar's fight.

They were up a hundred feet, but Katara could see exactly what was going on. It was a familiar to sight to the one Katara had just dealt with. Ozai was charging up his white lightning and Aang held a stance that looked similar to Zuko's. Katara felt confident until she heard Zuko whisper, "I never taught him how to redirect lightning." She looked at him, her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"What?"

"I never got a chance to teach it to him!" They looked back up and saw Ozai's lightning bolt strike Aang down as he fell off the cliff side. Ozai wasn't far behind and jumped after the boy sending more lightning bolts at Aang's limp body. Katara covered her mouth as she saw her best friend fall to his doom. She ran forward and Zuko leapt up to catch the Avatar's body. Aang laid in his arms limp and barely breathing. Katara knelt by him tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Aang?"

"Katara." He looked at her and much to her surprised he grinned. "I…I'm so sorry Katara."

"It…It's okay Aang." She tried to remain strong, but it was nearly impossible.

"No, I'm sorry Katara and Zuko. I…I wasn't strong enough." His eyes fluttered shut and Katara's lips trembled. She couldn't believe what was happening around her, and how quickly everything can just fall apart.

"Aang? Aang! AANG!" She screamed and clutched his torn tunic which just ripped under her grasps. Hot tears streamed down both her and Zuko's faces as a strong figure landed behind them. Katara stood and turned to find herself face to face with the Phoenix King, Ozai. Just like his daughter he gave an evil hearty laugh that rang repeatedly throughout Katara's head.

Clenching her fists together she felt the hate flow through her again, but remembered that voice that had told her before to feel love and as she cast a glance back at both Zuko and Aang she felt an overwhelming amount of love overtake the hate in her heart.

"I feel sorry for you." She spoke these words to Ozai, who stopped laughing.

"You feel sorry for _me?_"

"Yes, because you're about to lose everything, and _I'm_ going to take it away from you."

"You are? A small, pathetic Water Tribe peasant? Don't make me laugh little girl!"

"I'm not the little girl I was when they came, and _I'm_ going to finish what Aang started." Staring Ozai down, Katara took a deep breath before bending one hundred ice daggers out of the sky around her. "Let's do this."

**Author's Notes: Hey Guys! Hope you liked the fight with Azula! And how about Zuko making some red lightning? I thought it was cool.**

**And now Katara vs Ozai? Looks like home girl is getting revenge on everybody lately!**

**If you want to see Katara vs Ozai leave a REVIEW! And tell me what you all think!**

**Vessa Blackheart**


	11. Chapter 10

Katara's body racked with pain as she was slammed into a boulder. Through teary eyes she saw Zuko run at his father his fist surrounded by orange flames. He threw a punch but Ozai dodged it easily and kicked his son to the ground. Zuko clutched his chest as Ozai reached down ripping Zuko's tattered tunic clear off, revealing his newest scar. Ozai laughed once more as Katara struggled to get to her feet.

"Looks like my daughter learned from the best." Zuko rolled out from underneath his father's grasp as Katara stumbled to block Zuko's fallen form from the Phoenix King.

"Your daughter's dead." She wiped blood from the corner of her mouth and watched as Ozai's features fell slightly.

"You lie." His tone was bitter and nothing more than a hiss.

"Azula always lies father, not us." Zuko lurched to his feet but fell again. Katara wanted with all the fiber in her being to turn around and help him, but she was learning quickly to never turn her back on an enemy. She knew Ozai would use an opportunity like that to strike. He narrowed his eyes as he glared at Katara.

"You killed my daughter Azula?" His fists clenched so tightly Katara saw small trickles of blood drip down his fingers.

"No _I _didn't, but your son did." This elicited a laugh from the Phoenix King.

"My wimpy son defeated my prodigal little girl? You really are a comical peasant."

"I don't lie and I don't joke. He produced lightning and took her down, _way_ down."

"He cannot make lightning, he can only redirect it. He's too weak."

"I made lightning, and it was _red_." This grabbed Ozai's attention.

"Red?" There was only one other person Ozai knew who made red lightning, the others were all rumors. To conjure red lightning was…no, his useless son couldn't have. "You're too pathetic to even conjure a spark. And you," he pointed at Katara gritting his teeth. "You wanted to fight me and yet you have only failed thus far. If you rescind your challenge I might show mercy on you and the Avatar." Katara, for a moment, thought it sounded like a sweet deal. The feeling of despair in her stomach grew the longer she fought him. There wasn't much hope in her mind that she had enough strength to defeat Ozai. But there were two things wrong with his offer.

The First: He didn't offer to show Zuko any mercy.

The Second: Katara didn't feel he would make good on his end of the bargain.

"No way, we're going to finish this."

"Foolish girl, but what else do I expect, especially from Kya's daughter." This stopped Katara right in the midst of her thoughts. Ozai chuckled and cocked his head to the side, imitating her confused look. "Oh, the resemblance _is_ striking. How do you think I instantly knew you were water tribe? That's the same necklace I heard so much about."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko rose to his feet and stepped aside Katara. Her face was cold and empty. There was no trace of emotion left. "Katara?"

"Where is my mother?" The question from her mouth shocked Zuko to no end. Wasn't Katara's mother, for lack of a better word, dead? Ozai laughed and shrugged his shoulders. Katara's eyes narrowed and she swept several ice daggers out of the air and threw them at the Phoenix King. He moved about methodically dodging them. His hand-to-hand combat was impeccable, it was almost impossible to hit him. "Where is SHE!" Katara was screaming, tears flooding her eyes. Zuko stood by her side in confusion. Ozai ran away keeping out of Katara's view hoping she would run after him. And she wanted to, until Zuko grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Katara! What are you talking about? Your mother is dead!" Katara looked at him reluctantly.

"I killed the man that …took my mother away from me." It all suddenly clicked. In his head Zuko could hear Katara's words mingling about. _"The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." "When we returned back to the tent, she was gone." _All this time, Katara and Sokka believed their mother was dead, but she wasn't. Yon Rha, the leader of the Southern Raiders, had literally taken Katara's mother away.

"Katara…" Zuko didn't even know what to say. Katara pulled her arm out of his grasp and swiftly kissed him on the cheek.

"Take care of Aang." And she sprinted off to chase down Ozai.

His words were floating around the area. "Kya of the Southern Water Tribe! What an enticing woman! The things she did to keep the Water Tribe safe!" Katara could feel the anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. She needed to know what happened to her mother.

Kya had lied to Yon Rha, the man who took her away, to protect Katara. She suffered whatever consequences they bestowed upon her. It was easier for Hakoda to tell his children that their mother was gone, rather than them think she was suffering for all these years. Katara had spoken with Gran-Gran when she got older, who revealed to Katara there was a slight possibility her mother could be alive. Katara then only referred to her mother as "gone" or "taken away" until she would one day be told the truth. And now Ozai was proving her Gran-Gran's theory correct.

Katara ran between the large rock pillars searching for Ozai who continued to yell taunts about her mother. Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears it was becoming difficult to hear much of anything else. She was thankful for this because it meant she didn't have to listen to Ozai. A crack of lightning exploded in front of her suddenly sending her flying backward twenty feet. The back of her dress was now in tatters and several sharp rocks pierced her skin. Katara felt the blood trickle down the contours of her slender back and stain her clothes. When she rose to her feet she could see the droplets of her blood stained the ground.

"I would have thought water tribe bled blue." Katara whipped her head around searching for the man who spoke. He was still hiding from her.

"You coward! Are you so weak yourself that you hide from a useless water tribe peasant?" She knew her words were foolish, but would cut his pride in half. And sure enough, he stalked around a rock pillar revealing his form to her. In this light, Katara could see the resemblances between Zuko and Ozai. Their large broad torsos were impeccably toned and muscled, and their hair was black as night. Ozai's facial features however, were rougher and aged with anger. The lines on his forehead showed that he was a man who furrowed his eyebrows in anger repeatedly. If Zuko never joined the gAang Katara imagined he would grow to have the same harsh face.

However, Zuko's face was still soft, gentle, and loving. This very thought warmed Katara's heart and gave her the courage to not cower in front of the Phoenix King.

"Where's my mother?" Katara's voice was clear with not a hint of shakiness or fear. The man before her smirked before placing his large palms on his hips.

"Kya passed away two years ago." The words cut through Katara's heart like a knife. Her mother was dead, but it was not multiple years ago, but only two. "One day she refused to stop eating scraps and starved herself to death." Katara's ears wanted to bleed as much as her back and mouth were. Her mother had suffered here in the Fire Nation for so long while Katara was safe with her brother and father. Kya had sacrificed everything to keep them all safe. No wonder the raids stopped after her disappearance, even after the Southern Raiders realized Kya wasn't a waterbender.

"I'm going to kill you!" She didn't need to yell or scream or go into a fit of hysterics. Her tone was low, lethal and true. There was nothing Katara wanted to do more at that moment than make Ozai suffer for everything he had done. With a swiftness she'd never used before she charged Ozai, her hand encasing in water she pulled from the air. The water became an ice gauntlet that she punched him with. Her boldness surprised the Phoenix King and so he was unable to dodge the attack to his best capabilities. The spike of the gauntlet caught his arm, tearing a rather large incision on his bicep. He was able to distance himself from Katara by delivering a swift chop to the back of her neck with his other hand. She went face first into the dirt feeling the rocks scratch her cheeks.

Using what she'd seen Ozai do before, she rolled instinctively and barely darted out of the way of his flame kick. Black smoke erupted from the ground where he struck and Katara knew had she been any slower her face would be smoking. Quickly launching to her feet Katara whipped a simple, but effective water whip at Ozai smacking directly under his right eye. The shock of the attack threw him off balance to which Katara then used a second whip to sweep him off his feet. Once he was on his back she created a large icicle to drop down and impale him with. Equally fighting fast, Ozai shielded himself with a firewall distinguishing the icicle as it came down.

Kipping up on his feet Ozai shot several fire blasts at the waterbender, whose ice walls defensively arose to shield her from the flames. His blasts had more force behind them than Zuko's had; she couldn't hide behind it for long. Pulling more water from the air she encased her arms in them and waited for the ice shield to break. Once it did, she would attack immediately with her two octopus arms the same way she and Zuko got onto the Southern Raiders' ship. Sure enough, the ice cracked and Katara surged the water forward gripping Ozai's one arm and leg in each tentacle. She lifted him up in the air a good twenty feet before slamming him back down. Now it was his turn to be cut by the rocks, one large particular rock cracking him on the side of the head. He lay still after that, unmoving, and Katara reluctantly dropped her water weapon.

Had she knocked him out cold? Was he unconscious? She tentatively stepped forward careful to avoid tip-toeing on the pointy rocks. Blood was trickling from the Phoenix King's temple and for a split second Katara thought maybe she should heal him. But then the corners of her mouth dimmed to a frown. What the hell was she thinking? There was _no way_ she was going to heal that bastard! He had her mother captured and taken to the palace to serve as a prisoner for several years. He had taken her mother away when Katara needed her most. As she stood above him looking down at his unconscious form, she wanted to stab him. She wanted to stab him repeatedly with an ice dagger so much that nothing would be left of him.

Suddenly, Katara found herself on her back a burning hand gripping her throat and the heavy weight of Ozai crushing her. It was hard to breathe he was squeezing her neck so tightly. At times several gray spots flittered her version blocking out the man hurting her. The weight lifted from her and when she was able to see properly she could make out that he was pressing her against one of the rock pillars, her feet not touching the ground.

"Oh you are your mother's daughter." His hand raked her side in an intimate gesture similar to when Zuko caressed her. But there was nothing loving about this touch. It was perverse and heartless, and made Katara want to bathe for a whole week. "Her hips were wide like this too, big breasted and able to dance and move those hips wonderfully against mine." Katara wanted to spit or throw up on this man. Her mother hadn't been a prisoner; she'd been a personal slave to Ozai; a love slave, a concubine, a whore. That was not the honor and dignity her mother carried with her. She deserved better than that. "Then one day she speaks with my annoying brother and his son and starves herself to death, that fucking bitch." Katara craved to scream and claw his eyes out, yet she didn't have the strength to fight back. Her air supply was barely flowing and the spots returned. Her death was not too far ahead.

"KATARA!" The hand around her throat dropped her to the ground. Sucking in a deep breath of air Katara clutched her neck coughing and feeling the wonders of oxygen traveling down her throat. When she looked back up she could see a tangle of pale arms and legs punching and tumbling on the ground. Zuko had tackled his father to the ground both men attempting to gain the upper hand.

"Zuko!" She yelled at him because clearly he was losing. His father was relentlessly kneeing him in the rib cage causing him to cough up more blood. Fire seared from one of their hands and a male shout echoed throughout the canyon they were in. Katara shielded her eyes, she couldn't even stand the thought of Zuko being hurt again. But when she opened them again she could see Ozai holding Zuko by his neck in the same manner he had just held her, a burn blistering on his shoulder down his arm.

"You _pathetic_ excuse for a _prince.._." Lightning crackled around his other arm and he was ready to strike Zuko who struggled to break free of the grasp. Katara's eyes welled with tears. She couldn't lose another person she loved. Clenching her fists together Katara remembered her mother and how she used to comfort her. Then the thoughts of Zuko taking care of her these last few days flooded her mind and heart. She truly loved Zuko and now he was going to be killed.

"No…No…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Katara screamed with all she had, her throat stinging in pain, her voice hoarse, a mixture of love, hate, anger and sadness filling her. Zuko dropped to the ground coughing a mixture of blood and saliva onto the dusty ground. He inched his way over to Katara and held her as tears flooded both their eyes.

"Katara…" He bent down and kissed her softly on the lips to which she eagerly returned. He held her close rubbing her back soothingly in circles. A wheeze sounded and they both looked at Ozai who clutched his rib cage. His skin was clinging to his bones, wrinkly and gray. His hair was basically non-existent while his eye sockets hollow. His teeth fell from his white gums and his nails chipped.

Katara, mostly her waterbending driven by her emotions, had sucked all the moisture from Ozai leaving him a mummified mess on the desert floor. He was still alive, but barely. Zuko held Katara to him as they stared at the carnage she had yet again caused. She felt terrible for what she'd done, but couldn't bring herself to feel too bad about it. This was the man who tortured her mother, who almost killer her, who almost killed Aang, who was ready to kill Zuko. A man like that couldn't live and a few more moments, he wouldn't be. Zuko smoothed Katara's hair from her face planting a light kiss on her forehead. He left her side to stare at his father who could not return the gaze.

"Where is my mother?"

**Author's Note: Oh lord! I am SO sorry! I just got back from a glorious week in Las Vegas but sadly this story was postponed while I vacationed! I got back only two days ago and did my best to finish this the way I wanted it to go! But seeing a cirque de soleil show, Chippendales and Cher will knock the Zutara right out of me! Impossible, I know, but apparently not in Sin City! Sadly this story was one of the last things I thought about while away and so when I came back I had a huge writer's block. I hope this was well worth the wait!**

**So Katara can apparently mummify people? What? It's true. At least in this story! I did my best to make everything work. For instance Yon Rha told Kya "I'm not taking prisoners." Well, she wasn't, Ozai turned her into his concubine! Not the same thing! I hope it was a HUGE plot twist for you guys, and sadly I'm warning you now, I'm not really expanding on Ursa. It was basically thrown on there at the bottom because Zuko technically asked Ozai in the show where Ursa was. {sorry if I got your hopes up!}**

**Can you believe this story is almost over? Oh jeez, I can't! It was supposed to be a trilogy, then five chapters…and now it'll probably be about 12-13! Hope you all loved it! Leave reviews!**

**Vessa Blackheart**


	12. Chapter 11

Red and white fire lilies glistened with fresh droplets in the scorching sun. They lay in a wide field of tombs and gravestones. But this one in particular meant something to Katara. She read the name carefully, each syllable resounding in her head.

"K-Y-A."

Her mother finally had a final resting place. She'd been buried two years prior in a pitiful field meant for slaves and concubines. But after Katara's request, Fire Lord Zuko had her mother moved immediately to a new home. The graves here would be for those who were not Fire Nation Royals, but were nobles and therefore had a close relationship to the Fire Lord. Katara sat in front of the large gray tombstone, the only one here so far. But others that were destined to be buried here were her father, her brother, Toph, Aang, Suki, and all the others who assisted in their cause of overcoming former Phoenix King, Ozai.

If Katara had all day, she would sit here and have her silent conversations with her mother. Telling her all she's done, all she's accomplished. She even mustered up the courage to tell her mom that she killed Yon Rha, and had a part in finishing off Ozai. Katara came to the conclusion that her mom would be proud, just like Hakoda had been. Even though the outcome was less than favorable, the intentions weren't. And after learning of her mother's years of servitude, Katara felt even better about all that had happened.

She knew one day, that she'd be with her mother again. Flying together and seeing the world. Saying all they'd wanted to say but never had the time to. Dancing together, singing, telling jokes, and of course doing what they'd always done: Katara showing off new waterbending tricks and her mother cheering. Katara remembered the first time she bent water, and how shocked and overjoyed her mother was. The same excitement transferred to Katara who had never stopped wanting to waterbend from that moment on. And even when Aang asked her to stop, she couldn't.

Aang had since taken back the order, and realized how self-righteous he had become. They weren't his words, but more so Zuko's, who was still agitated but getting over it. He was calmer, and they were all living at the palace in peace. Most of the time. When they weren't at the palace they stayed in Ba Sing Se. Toph and Suki especially liked going back to Earth Kingdom territory, reminded them of home. Though Toph and Aang weren't at the palace at the moment; Aang had decided Toph needed to go penguin sledding. Katara had an inkling it wouldn't go over well.

"Katara?" A voice echoed across the field and she turned excitedly at whom that voice belonged to. She'd come to love and admire this person in just a short time. Funny how things like that could happen.

"Coming!" Katara said one last goodbye to her mother, promising she'd be back the next day and jogged away. The smell of the fire lilies faintly growing dim the further away she got. She half-hugged the tall figure and they walked together back to the palace. "How is Zuko? He was so nervous about the first peace meeting between the nations."

"He is well. Iroh was appointed the new Earth Kingdom King since there was nobody else to fill the role."

"Oh, that's wonderful! I'm sure he is pleased!"

"Indeed! He says he gets to be closer to his son that way."

"Lu Ten, right?"

"Yes. Iroh and the rest of the White Lotus will serve as King and Royal Chairs. The Royal Chairs will act as guides to help direct the King make better decisions for Ba Sing Se. Iroh and Zuko believe that not one man can lead a nation by himself and _always_ make the correct judgments."

"I think that is very wise!" Katara was excited about this new endeavor. She'd never heard of anything like it quite before. The closest was that the Priest of the Northern Water Tribe, Yue's father, had three men he consulted everyday. But it was nothing as official as a real committee. "When will the meeting be over?" Katara lowered her voice as they had now reached the palace and walked inside nearing the peace room. It used to be known as the "war room," but Zuko quickly changed that when he became Fire Lord. Katara had never been so proud as he and Aang stood side by side with promises of change and liberation.

"Soon, however I believe you are allowed inside Katara." A single curtain separated Katara from Zuko, Iroh, Hakoda and all the other representatives from the four nations. Katara smiled knowing she had allowance to be inside and nodded her head feverishly.

"Thank you!" She hugged her escort tightly and prepared herself to enter the room.

"I will see you both for dinner."

"Of course Ursa, we will be there shortly! I promise!" Ursa smiled at the girl before turning to glide down the palace hallways. Katara took another deep breath and pushed past the blood red curtains. The first face that caught her eyes was Zuko. He stood at the head of the table, pointing at a map with his hand on his uncle's shoulder. Clearly they were finalizing the Ba Sing Se leadership positions.

"Next order of business," but Zuko's voice stopped short as he looked up and saw his blue-eyed lover standing across the room. "Ah, just in time Katara." He smiled warmly and gestured her to an empty seat next to Sokka and Hakoda. She took her seat and winked at Zuko, eliciting a scoff from her brother. She elbowed him in the ribs, to which he groaned in pain. She silently apologized, forgetting about the wound he had only acquired a couple of weeks ago. Their father shushed them, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"As I was saying, now that we've got Ba Sing Se figured out, the next nation is the Water Tribe. I am certain I don't really have to remind you, but there is a Southern and Northern Water Tribe and so this is the only nation that requires two different forms of government. Now, the Northern Water Tribe has been under the ruling of his high Priest for quite some time now. And I have been assured that under his ruling the Northern Water Tribe has flourished. Unfortunately, he could not be here with us today because of a severe illness. Should this illness worsen, I have been informed that Master Pakku is his next choice to rule." Katara's mouth dropped and she felt incredibly foolish that she had not seen her former Master sitting at the long table. She waved subtly at Pakku who smiled widely. Sokka leaned over and tapped Katara's shoulder.

"Master Pakku and Gran-Gran are engaged. They are to wed as soon as Pakku returns to the Northern Tribe." What a time for Sokka to tell Katara this! She wanted to scream out loud in joy, but was forced to restrain herself due to her current surroundings. Her leg jiggled nervously waiting for this meeting to be over so she could share the good news with Ursa.

"Now, as for the Southern Water Tribe," Zuko continued, unaware of Katara's newfound excitement. "It is true that since several raids made upon this nation, they have been without leadership for quite some time. My first choice to be the Priestess is, well, for lack of a better word engaged with other affairs." Katara felt her face flush. She had agreed shortly after Zuko became Fire Lord to stay in the palace with him. However, had she not done that, did he wish to make her the Priestess of the Southern Water Tribe? "So, it is with honor that I decree Hakoda to be Priest of the Southern Water Tribe! And should he be unable to fulfill his duties, Bato is the leader of their Royal Chairs." Katara hugged her father tightly before he rose to nod to the other leaders of the nations.

The meeting did not last much longer after that, and Katara found herself waiting longer than she would have liked before she and Zuko were finally alone together. They walked hand in hand back to his master bedroom chattering about the meeting Katara missed most of.

"So, I have a question for you." Katara's voice sounded more coy than she intended and was met with Zuko smirking, a twinkle in his eye.

"And what is that beautiful?" She blushed instantly at his words of endearment. Even after all this time, she still blushed like a young girl with a crush.

"Who was your original choice to make Priestess?"

"Oh, that." He seemed clipped off emotionally which confused Katara.

"Who was it?" She pressed further.

"I was going to make it your Gran-Gran, Kanna. But she got engaged with Master Pakku, and so I made it your father." Katara laughed loudly, her voice echoing down the hallways.

"My Gran-Gran? Really?"

"I thought it was a good idea. No offense, but she's old and probably was the closest woman to know about how the world was before my great-grandfather started this war."

"I don't mean to sound rude, I think it's a wonderful idea. I just, for a moment, thought that you meant me!" Zuko whipped his head around and looked at her incredulously. They had reached his bedroom door and he opened never taking his eyes off her.

"You thought I would make _you_ Priestess?" They walked inside his room, but not before Katara punched him lightly in the arm.

"Oh, don't make it sound like such a shitty idea!" He held his arm where she hit him and feigned an overwhelming amount of pain.

"I think you left a bruise."

"That's not the point, and even if I did, tough! Would I really make that bad of a Priestess?" Zuko chuckled as he crossed to his bed removing his armor and heavy boots. Katara herself took off her sheer scarf to hang on a coat rack.

"That's not why I didn't consider you."

"Well then why didn't you?" She was met with silence. "Why didn't you Zuko? Come on, tell me!"

"Because I want you to rule this one with me, as my Queen." Katara froze, taking in his words slowly and attempting to wrap her brain around them as best she could. Zuko looked flustered, and slightly annoyed. Clearly, this wasn't how he wanted to propose to her. Oh Yue and Tui, he had just PROPOSED! Katara ran towards him and nearly tackled him onto the bed.

"Zuko! Oh my word, I can't even…I can't even speak!" She kissed him fully on the lips and was happy when he snapped out of his bad mood to return it bursting with passion.

"So, is that a yes?"

"YES! Of course! But…" She trailed off, watching the excitement quickly fade from his face which was now occupied with anxiety.

"But what?"

"I thought you told me that your wife, should you be Fire Lord, would be a Lady, not Queen." He smirked at her kissing her again.

"Technicalities." His lips swept from her lips to her neck, Katara half giggling and moaning at the contact. He picked her bridal style before unceremoniously dropping her on the bed. She opened her mouth to protest, but quickly found it filled with Zuko's hot moist tongue. He rubbed her sides trailing down to her rather muscular thighs. All laughter had ceased from Katara as she bit her lip to keep from moaning too loudly.

Zuko's hand gently squeezed her plump breast, tweaking her pert nipple under her clothes. Katara was more than willing to shimmy out of her bright blue dress and the pair found themselves naked in a new time record. His hands massaged her breasts while he bit and sucked at her tender neck. Using his tongue, he dragged a wet trail down to her breasts to suck roughly on her light brown nipples. She yelped loudly pulling on his dark hair to detach himself from her so she could kiss him once more.

Zuko's fingers tickled down her body as they kissed each other, the devilish digits reaching her most sensitive spot. She arched into him, begging him to touch her. When he finally did, she was slightly wet and whimpering his name.

"Oh Zuko," it was nothing more than a mere whisper, but it caused Zuko's member to grow steadily harder against her leg. His fingers entered her and he fell in love even more as he watched her face light up in pure ecstasy. After pressing into her a few times, she grew steadily wetter and more ready.

"Katara." They locked eyes and with no hesitation at all she nodded, kissing him passionately as their tongues caressed one another. He massaged her gently preparing her for what was happening next. "Shhhh, relax my Lady." He entered her slowly feeling her tense up at the size of him. He coaxed her to relax which she was reluctant in doing so. Pressing his lips forcefully against hers, he pushed himself all the way inside her. Her scream muffled against him and he felt the moist tears escape her eyes. This was the first time they'd gone this far since starting their relationship.

He rocked against her gently after she'd calmed, even though her nails clawed his back harshly. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts, which became steadily faster and harder. They continued like this for some time, Katara finally feeling she was getting the swing of things. Just as she felt a knot boiling deep into the pit of her stomach, she stopped to push Zuko onto his back. His face was adorned with shock but with a hint of satisfaction.

She glided her hips against him as his hands found their way to her curvaceous hips. He guided her against him as she increased her tempo. Her hands scratched down his chest before she raked her own body to squeeze her breasts, adding to the pleasure she felt below. Zuko grew harder lifting his hips up into her. It was the most incredible feeling in the world, and the most incredible sight. There she was, his own personal water goddess. Her wavy brown hair whipping around, her pursed pink lips, a slick sheen coating of sweat covering her body, her hips grinding against his own, her perfectly curled toes and the way she moaned his name; it was a wonder he hadn't cum yet.

Katara threw her head back in pure bliss and elation at the feelings growing in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't even believe how fast her hips were moving in time with his. It was a wonder she was still on top of him and hadn't fallen off in a fit of shivers and stimulation. She lost the strength to continue sitting up, but Zuko, not faltering, sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist. They rocked together, both sitting up, their sweaty bodies entangled as they bumped against each other continually.

The knot in Katara's stomach began to unwind as her moans got louder and louder. Zuko himself was finding it too difficult to restrain himself any longer, and deepened their contact with a switched angle of his hips. Katara kissed him passionately as the tremors began to rack through her body. Slight spasms shot down her spine as she felt herself grow even wetter.

"Zuko! I think, I think I'm about to…" She never finished her sentence as he thrust deeply inside her causing her orgasm to sneak up and interrupt her. "Oh Zuko!" She screamed his name which only brought on Zuko's own orgasm, releasing himself deep inside Katara's hot tightness. They collapsed together in a shambles of sweaty bodies and pleasure. While Katara fought the urge to sleep, Zuko kissed her softly before reaching around his bedside and pulling out a large velvet box. Katara perked up and smiled lazily.

"What is that?"

"A gift for you, my Lady." She didn't waste anytime taking it from him and eagerly opening it. Her breath hitched in throat as she stared down at the piece of jewelry that seemingly stared back at her. It was a beautiful red stone with a symbol of fire and water carved into it. The symbol was close to the one Katara's had, with the addition of flames. It was held simply by a velvet dark blue choker.

"I didn't think it should be _too_ extravagant. That doesn't seem quite your style." For the first time in a long time, Katara saw a hint of pink flush his pale cheeks.

"I'd like to think you're my style." She lie back down, hastily draping the red silk sheets across her naked frame, unashamed. Like she had a reason to be, Zuko continued to admire her curvaceous body even now after all was said and done. He chuckled and lay himself close to her, pushing the strands off her damp forehead.

"I'll always be your style."

"Good." Katara chuckled softly and closed her eyes, resting an arm around Zuko's bare torso. Suddenly, she bolted straight up jolting Zuko out of his half-asleep state.

"What? What is it?"

"We're late for dinner! Your mother is going to throw a fit, and then I'm going to have to pathetically come up with an excuse for my brother and Suki!" She flung the sheet off her before sifting through the large wooden drawers and removing a long red dress with gold beading. "Get dressed Fire Lord! Now!" She rushed to the bathroom to change and wash up while Zuko snickered to himself, amused by her actions.

"What took you two so long?" Ursa smiled with a knowing look on her pointed face. Katara refrained from blushing while Zuko just smiled and took a seat at the head of the table. Sokka and Suki raised their eyebrows while Hakoda looked like he was trying to remain awake. It had been a long and tiring day for him, and he just wanted it to be over.

"Nothing mother, let's enjoy our meal, yes?" They ate in silence for quite some time, Zuko and Katara catching each other's glances every now and then. But that silence was soon interrupted when suddenly and without warning, Suki screamed piercingly.

"Katara!" Everyone's eyes looked upon the stunned and confused waterbender who sat waiting for an explanation. "Your neck!" She pointed at the red on Katara's neck who immediately blushed and scolded herself for not healing.

"Dad, I can-I can explain."

"You better!" His voice was stern.

"I-Well, I…"

"Not you Katara, you!" He rounded on Zuko who sat watching with amusement.

"Dad, don't rough on him."

"He _promised_ me that he would propose in front of the family!" Sokka dropped his fork at Hakoda's exclamation and Suki squeaked even louder. Katara immediately felt a rush blast through her. The "red" Suki was referencing was her engagement necklace, not the evidence of Zuko's passion. And Katara's father knew about it?

"You knew about it?" Katara's words flowed from her lips as she thought them.

"Of course I did, the boy asked me for your hand."

"And you agreed?"

"Don't look so upset Katara." Zuko snorted at his fiancée. "You agreed too!" She laughed at her…fiancée's choice of words. It felt funny, weird, but absolutely thrilling to call Zuko that: fiancée.

"I'll go write a letter to Aang and Toph!" Suki excused herself from the table whisking herself and a confused, yet dumbly grinning Sokka with her.

"I'm so proud." Katara felt Ursa's hand rest on her shoulder and Iroh bellowed out a hearty laugh.

"I'll make the tea!"

Katara felt lost in the excitement everyone was displaying but soon found herself in the warm embrace of the one she loved. Everything else seemed to fade away, but he and his love had always remained steadfast to her. No matter what they had gone through, or what else they would face in their future, Katara knew she'd always have Zuko by her side.

**Author's Note: Oh you'd like to think it's over wouldn't you? Just when you thought I had wrapped it up nice and tightly, I didn't! There will be ONE MORE chapter and **_**then**_** it's over, sadly! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the long anticipated LEMON! It was pretty great wasn't it? Please leave reviews if you want to see the next and final chapter! **

**It is pretty great to get emails telling me how many of you alerted this story, or favorite it, but you know what gets me really pumped {and you all know the answer to this!} Reviews!**

**So leave reviews telling me what you think, what you love, what you hate, and I will have the next chapter posted as soon as possible! **

**Love,**

**Vessa Blackheart**


	13. Chapter 12

Katara and Zuko lie in bed naked together. Their wedding was in a couple of days and had taken _months_ to plan. Aang and Toph had come home immediately from the Water Tribe Nation elated with the news. At least Toph was, she'd known this moment was inevitable. Aang was a little less than enthused, but feigned happiness on the behalf of everyone else. After a month he spoke to Katara and explained how he had felt, and how things changed when the situation with Yon Rha happened.

Even though he no longer loved her in a romantic way, there would always be certain feeling he'd have for Katara. She accepted this, and told him he'd always be her best friend. It was a wonderful way of life Katara found herself in. Engaged to a breathtaking man, her best friend was back in his rightful place, her family was safe, and she finally had closure with her mother's death. But there were several things she still didn't have figured out.

"Zuko?" He lie with his head on her bare stomach, her left hand idly stroking his black hair. It'd grown a little longer, almost down to his shoulders, but Zuko had explained he was just experimenting, and didn't like the results; reminded him too much of his father. Katara made him promise he'd crop it to his normal shag before the wedding.

"Yes…?" His voice was apprehensive, as if he was aware she was about to ask something. And it was possibly something he'd rather not discuss.

"There's been something that's been on my mind for a while now. Well, since we fought your father."

"And what is that my fiancée?" He loved to toss that word around: fiancée. It always brought a large grin to Katara's face, and although she smiled now she would not be swayed from her task at hand.

"Why was your father so, oh I don't even know the word, _surprised_ when you said you made red lightning?"

"It's very rare." Katara felt Zuko was choosing his words carefully, a large hint to that being the ounce of hesitation he had after she posed the question.

"Oh you are such a liar Fire Lord Zuko!" She drove her knuckles into his skull, mussing up his thick black hair. He was instantly on her in one move, tickling her stomach until her sides hurt of laughter.

"And how do you like that almost-Miss-Fire Lady?" Her laughter nearly drowned out his taunts, until he suddenly stopped to kiss her fully on the lips, their bodies intertwining accidentally.

"I like _that_ just fine." She whispered when he finally broke away with a sappy smirk adorning his features. She kissed him again but was surprised when he broke away biting his lip with one eyebrow curved.

"I will tell you about the red lightning when I'm ready. I promise." He kissed her forehead and rolled off her to lay on his side, his back facing her. "We should get some sleep sweetheart. Good night." Katara lie there confused, staring at her soon-to-be-husband's white pasty back. What was such the big deal in telling her about red lightning? Was it such a serious problem or something? With no other option than the awaiting dreams before her, Katara rolled on her side also facing away from Zuko, and slept.

It was even more unsettling when Katara awoke to an empty bed the next morning. First her fiancée ignores her the night before, and now he is completely gone when she wakes up. Rising slowly from the overly large bed she graced her body with an almost sheer red robe and drew a bath. Considering the jerk had left no note for her, she lazily washed herself and picked out a cute yet elegant outfit for the day. Maybe she could convince Ursa that the two of them should feed the turtle ducks.

The royal palace was virtually empty as Katara glided down the marble hallways. The red and gold dress she wore blew in the wind behind her. Sunlight drifted in from the large bay windows but not a soldier or family member was in sight. It was odd considering all the rumors of rebel armies, people still supporting the late Ozai, who wanted to attack the new Fire Lord. But the last thing on Katara's mind was her dead father-in-law. The upcoming wedding was consuming her thoughts.

Sokka was Zuko's best man, which brought Katara to tears when he told her he didn't choose Sokka just because he's Katara's brother. Katara had felt torn about whom to make her maid of honor but in the end went with Toph. The two had their differences in the past, but were best friends and always there for each other. Suki would stand next to Toph as a bridesmaid and Aang would serve as groomsman. Everybody was invited to attend from the different nations from Haru and Teo to the Kyoshi warriors.

Katara was to wear a white dress with a gold sash and all gold jewelry. Zuko would be dressed to impress in his black and gold Fire Lord robes. Katara however wanted to have a bit of the Water Tribe brought to the wedding and so the palace would be adorned with white and purple flowers. She wasn't sure how she felt about having blue and red, so she went with purple because it was a combination of the two. Zuko thought it was a stroke of genius. The bridesmaids dresses were purple, and Sokka and Aang would be in black and purple as well. It was only a week away and Katara's stomach was all a flutter with butterflies of excitement.

"Hey, Sugar Queen!" Toph's voice filled the empty hallway as she strolled on the marble in her bare feet. "I can barely feel anything on this ground! But I'm slowly adjusting. Where the hell is everybody?" Katara giggled before taking her friend's hand and hugging her.

"I wish I knew. I woke up and there was no note from Zuko or anything. It's like everybody's gone." Toph stared blankly in Katara's direction before turning around and looking out over the Palace gates.

"There's something going on at the palace entrance."

"What kind of something?"

"I think something bad. We should go." The girls flew down the large staircases that led to the palace gates. Katara remembered blasting through these during the Fire Nation invasion. They had since been repaired, and Katara was thankful they were reinforced. If any of the arising rebel armies wanted to attack, they'd have a harder time of getting to Zuko and Katara.

"Open the gates." Katara commanded a Fire Nation guard. He didn't move, and Toph grabbed his mask wrenching him down to his level.

"The Fire Lord's fiancée told you to open the gates!"

"Y-yes ma'am." The suit of armor sprung to life and opened the gates slowly. The shocking image on the other side made Katara's breath hitch in her throat.

Zuko was embraced in a kiss with Mai, one of Azula's girls, while a badly beaten Ty Lee was being fed tea by Iroh. Zuko pulled away, not looking too pleased, his gold eyes locking on Katara's still form. Mai looked confused by the interaction between Fire Lord and waterbender.

"Katara." Zuko walked up to her but Katara took a step back away from him, not letting him touch her.

"What…How…?" She was speechless yet again. He reached out to touch her, but she slapped hi m away. "You leave me alone this morning to go back to your ex-girlfriend?"

"I'm not his _ex_-girlfriend." Mai's dull voice spoke to Katara, who glared daggers at the goth.

"Yes, you are Mai."

"If I was your ex-girlfriend why did you send guards to find me and Ty Lee?" Katara felt like she'd just been slapped.

"Yeah Zuko, why did you send guards to go desperately looking for her?"

"They weren't _desperately_ looking for her, and I'd never forgive myself if I had the knowledge that they were imprisoned somewhere left to rot. You'd do the same thing for any of _your_ male friends." Zuko scowled.

"I didn't used to date any of my male friends. Just…just leave me alone."

"Katara."

"Don't touch me!" He reached out one more time, but Katara water whipped him in the arm, leaving a thin cut on his forearm. She ran away and knew Toph restrained Zuko from letting him follow suit. Katara ran letting her feet take her wherever they may lead. Which of course, she ended up sitting in the open field near the palace, collapsed in front of her mother's grave. Tears freely flowed down in her cheeks, and it pained her to know the last time she cried like this was when she and Zuko fought side by side against Ozai.

"Mom! Why aren't you here to help me?" Katara's confusion took over and she did not even know what to do about what she'd stumbled upon. Mai was back in Zuko's life, and the two kissed. Was that why Zuko was being so secretive lately? Did he want to go back to Mai now that she was found alive and well?

"I'm not your real mother, but I'd still like to be your mother-in-law." Ursa's soft voice broke through Katara's sobs who immediately sat up and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"He kissed _her_." Ursa took a seat next to Katara leaving a lone yellow fire lily on the grass. Katara smiled at the gesture. Ursa didn't know Kya, but because she was related to Katara she still showed an ample amount of respect.

"Yes, I was alerted early this morning as was Zuko that his guards located the place Azula had those girls imprisoned."

"I mean, I'm glad they're okay if they were friends of Zuko's. But why did they have to _kiss_?"

"Well, from what I saw it was Mai who was doing most of the kissing. It took her about four tries until she caught Zuko off guard long enough to plant one on him. From what I could tell, she was still under the impression they would be together if she was ever rescued. Zuko however, fell in love with someone else." Ursa laid a hand on Katara's shoulder. It was comforting to the upset waterbender. "He loves you dear believe me. The bond you two share is like none I've ever seen before. It is not just a romance, but you are each other's best friends as well. Zuko told me two nights ago he never wanted to betray your trust again."

"He did?" Katara's tears had vanished.

"Yes, he did. Please still marry my son in six days Katara. I know that he would never be happy without you." Katara nodded and wiped away any traces of sadness from her face.

"I'll go talk to him."

"Don't bother, I'm here Katara." Zuko's voice was carried with the wind to Katara who turned to see him walking across the field. "Katara I didn't want Mai to do what she did! I love you, and there's no one else for me!" Katara glanced at Ursa who quietly tried to excuse herself. Zuko ran across the field and kissed his beautiful fiancée. It was full of love and passion, despite being an innocent closed-mouth kiss.

"I don't want her to live in the palace." Katara whispered when they departed.

"Live in the palace? Katara sweetie, she's going back to the colonies before our wedding. Believe me when I say I just wanted my guards to find her and rescue her so she could live. She saved Sokka's and my life. I owed it to her, but that is all." Katara nodded and embraced Zuko tightly once again.

"I love you Zuko."

"I love you too."

Katara's gown was tight. It wasn't tight at the last fitting. Maybe it was all the éclairs she'd been eating lately. The gown still fit it just wasn't as comfortable as it was at the last fitting. It flared at the waist to look like a princess, to which she was about to become royalty, so she assumed it was suitable.

"Katara, you look beautiful." Suki handed her the bouquet of red and blue flowers. The only red and blue of the whole wedding were Katara's bouquet. She thought it was just enough of a splash. Toph and Suki carried white flowers tied with gold ribbon.

"I'm nervous." Katara smiled. Even though her stomach was churning with nerves, she was still elated that in ten short minutes she would walk down the aisle and marry Zuko. The past week leading up to the big day was full of surprises. Especially Katara's little conversation with Mai. She told Zuko's ex that if she ever touched Zuko again, she'd find herself back where Azula buried her. Katara felt bad for using such words with Mai, but the girl had caused enough problems for Katara. Needless to say, Mai got on the first boat to go back to the Fire Nation colonies near the Earth Kingdom. Ty Lee stayed behind and joined the Kyoshi warriors. They had met briefly before Ty Lee and Mai were relocated in a deeper prison.

"Don't be nervous, you look wonderful." Suki smiled once more.

"Don't ask me how you look, I have no idea." Toph sat open-legged on a chaise in her purple gown. Katara would normally yell but felt like Toph wrinkling her dress was the last thing Katara should worry about.

"I know Toph, thank you." Her voice was slightly shaky now.

"All right, it's time to go!" Suki took Toph's hand to lead her out of the parlor and down the hallway. Katara marched slowly behind them. The ballroom was all set to the designs Katara picked her wedding to look like. Candles were lit all around the room with lightly colored white and purple flowers placed in front of them. The gold chandeliers glowed faintly above the crowd of dressed guests.

The music began to play and the three girls hugged before Suki straightened her long purple dress and walked down the aisle, smiling at Sokka who stood proudly next to Zuko. The two exchanged winks, and Zuko tried desperately not to chuckle. Toph was next and didn't know it, but was being admired by the Avatar. Then, it was Katara's turn. She rounded the corner and everybody stood. Hakoda stepped out in front of her, and took her arm. The pair walked down the aisle together ending with Hakoda placing Katara's gloved hand in Zuko's.

The wedding was short yet elegant, and the reception took place in the second ballroom. The palace had about three ballrooms, and every other day Katara thought that was excessive. Today, it was perfect. Couples danced around the wooden floor, and tables were set for people to enjoy their dinners. Katara, Zuko and their bridal party sat at a long table in front of a golden emblem of two dragons intertwining. Behind the dragons was a silver emblem of the moon. Katara had noticed this art on her sixth day living in the palace and thought it was perfect, and strangely coincidental. One dragon had red rubies for eyes, and the other blue sapphires; another coincidence.

Katara watched with fixated bemusement as Ursa twirled around Iroh who bellowed with laughter and happiness. Sokka thought it would be funny to spike the old man's tea. It was proving to be quite the show. Toph nervously danced with Aang who was trying to help her get the rhythm of the song. Suki and Sokka danced together, with whispers of the elders saying they were next. The very thought made Katara's features light up.

"You look gorgeous Fire Lady." Zuko suddenly whispered into Katara's ear, breaking her out of her trance.

"You look devilishly handsome yourself Fire Lord." He grinned at her and took her hand, leading her to the dance floor. A ballad began to play, and Zuko murmured in her ear the story this song told.

"It was about a forbidden love like Oma and Shu, but this love was between royalty and peasantry."

"Oh was it now?"

"Yes, the princess fell in love with her fighting instructor and the two held a secret affair."

"Well what happened?"

"He died in a battle protecting the palace."

"That's terrible! What did the princess do?"

"She ran away, denounced her throne, and became a vigilante. She went from town to town, rescuing any who were oppressed from the war."

"How do you know that story?"

"Oh I know tons, my mother told me them when I was younger."

"I'd love to hear more someday." Katara smiled and pressed her cheek to Zuko's shoulder. He dipped his head low and nuzzled her neck before whispering to her again.

"Fire benders who can produce red lightning are said to be father's of Avatars." Katara pulled her head away and stared into Zuko's golden eyes.

"What?"

"It was said that Roku's father produced red lightning, and any firebending parents of Avatars could make red lightning. My cousin Lu Ten could make red lightning, until he was killed. It took five years, but now I can too."

"Wait, so does that mean…?" Katara stopped short, remembering the sickness she'd felt in the mornings, and how now her dress hugged her a little too tightly, and her hankering for éclairs and chocolate without going through her moon cycle.

"I don't know." Zuko held her close as they danced to the ballad of forbidden lovers. Katara kissed him them, fully on the lips. If they were destined to usher in the next Avatar, then Katara felt blessed.

For she was blessed; she had wonderful friends, magnificent family, a loving husband, and a possible child growing in her stomach. All negative thoughts of the revenge she'd taken months ago vanished forever, and she knew her mother was watching out for her and her new family. And as the party continued and the new Fire Lord and Lady danced the night away, Katara could feel a small kick from deep inside.

**Author's Note: And it's done. *tear* But I hope everybody loved it and I cannot wait to write my next fic, which sadly won't be a Zutara, but a ZoroXNami. But it will be good, and even if you don't watch One Piece, read it any way cause it will be an alternative universe and you don't need to actually watch One Piece to enjoy one of those! =)**

**Leave reviews and let me know what you thought of Katara's Revenge!**

**VessaBlackheart**


	14. Author's Notes: A Sequel!

Hey Guys!

For all of you that read Katara's Revenge and put me on the Alert List or Favorite List, then you may want to check out:

Zuko's Vengeance!

Yep, I'm writing a sequel and Chapter 1 is already up! It's not going to be long, only a trilogy follow up but it will answer any questions you guys may have had concerning the ending to Katara's Revenge, like the whole red lightning Katara giving birth to the next Avatar question!

Go check it out if you've wanted closure or just like my stuff! And as one reviewer already wrote:

"I just read Katara's Revenge and I will say that I have a feeling that Zuko's Vengeance is going to be mindblowing!"

And as always, please review!

Vessa Blackheart


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